Johnson survives a no-confidence vote by rebel MPs, but obstacles remain
Key Takeaways:
- Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, survived a no-confidence vote launched by unhappy Conservative lawmakers on Monday.
- Johnson claimed that his government had triumphed decisively and that it could now "turn its attention to the things that actually matter."
On Monday, PM Boris Johnson survived a no-confidence vote initiated by disgruntled Conservative legislators. With this, the prime leader has temporarily guaranteed his tenure, which has been tarnished by party gate scandals and a failure to do more to support the post-Brexit economy in the face of the pandemic.
Although Johnson, who is noted for his ability to shrug off scandals, declared victory, critics said the vote marked the beginning of the end of his three-year premiership. His backers, notably Sajid Javid, the health secretary, claim that the prime minister has won "a new mandate."
Here are the most important updates on the confidence vote:
1) In a secret ballot, Johnson received the support of 211 Conservative lawmakers out of 359 total. Even while Johnson had more than the simple majority needed to stay in office, the absence of 148 MPs - dubbed the "Tory insurrection" - should alarm him, according to the Associated Press. A Conservative party member or supporter is referred to as a "Tory."
2) Interestingly, he won by a smaller margin than his predecessors, Theresa May and Margaret Thatcher. Both had won the election but resigned months later, claiming their premierships were doomed.
3) Conservative MPs forced the no-confidence vote after at least 15% of them filed statements of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady, the head of the party's 1922 Committee.
4) Johnson has come under fire for hosting many parties in Downing Street while the nation was on lockdown due to Covid-19. Police also fined Johnson £50 ($63) for addressing one birthday celebration, making him the first prime minister to face legal action while in office.
5) Following the referendum, Johnson asserted that his government had won decisively and that it could now "go on to focus on the stuff that truly matters."
6) Johnson also stated that he was not interested in conducting a hasty national election, as some had speculated would be his next move to regain his power. "I'm not interested in hasty elections," Johnson told Reuters. "What I'm concerned about is providing right now for the people of this nation."
7) Following May's dismissal over the failure to unite her MPs for a successful Brexit, Johnson led the party to its greatest general election victory in more than three decades in 2019.
8) Despite the rocky start to the management of the Covid-19 crisis, the conservative leader has garnered support by delivering Brexit as well as making the UK a vaccine pathfinder.