PM Boris Johnson, will face a vote of confidence today

Key Takeaways:

• After the "partygate" issue, several Conservative parliamentarians questioned Boris Johnson's authority, and he will face a confidence vote on Monday.
• A majority of Conservative legislators - 180 - would have to vote against Johnson in order for him to be removed, something some Conservatives believe will be difficult to do.

Boris Johnson, the British prime minister, will face a confidence vote earlier on Monday after many Conservative legislators questioned his authority in the wake of the "partygate" controversy.

Johnson, who was elected as PM in 2019, has been under increasing strain, unable to move on from a report that revealed booze-fueled gatherings at the heart of power during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Jesse Norman, a loyalist who worked as a junior minister in the finance ministry between 2019 as well as 2021, launched a stinging attack on Johnson, saying the prime minister's continued power humiliated both the electorate and the party.

He is one of the numerous Conservative members. They have expressed fear that Johnson, 57, has lost his authority to manage the United Kingdom, experiencing a recession, increasing prices, and strike-induced transport mayhem in the capital London.

In a note, Graham Brady, head of the Conservative Party's 1922 Committee, which represents rank-and-file Conservative lawmakers, said, "The threshold of 15 percent of the parliamentary party demanding a vote of confidence in the head of the Conservative Party has been exceeded."

Brady said a vote would take place on Monday between 6 and 8 p.m. (1700-1900 GMT).

"Following that, the votes will be counted. A statement will be made at a later day and time to be determined, "Brady said.

According to a representative for Johnson's Downing Street office, the vote was "a chance to stop months of speculation and also allowed the govt to draw a line & move on, delivering on the people's objectives," according to a representative for Johnson's Downing Street office.

"The Prime Minister welcomes the opportunity to make his argument to MPs (members of parliament) and will remind them that there is no more formidable political force than when they are unified and focused on the important issues to people."

MOUNTING ANGER

For Johnson to be ousted, a majority of Conservative legislators - 180 - would have to vote against him, something some Conservatives believe will be tough to do. A leadership election will be held to choose his successor if the bill is passed.

Johnson and his government have pushed legislators to move on after the release of the devastating investigation into the so-called "partygate" incident, which detailed fights and alcohol-induced vomiting at lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street.

However, last week, when many of them returned to their constituencies or voting districts, they were met with a chorus of complaints about Johnson's behavior. The public booed and jeered the prime minister at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations; however, there were some shouts for him.

After the parties' reports, Steve Barclay, the new chief of staff at Downing Street, encouraged lawmakers not to "spend the next half of the parliament on distractions over leadership."

"We will be sending exactly the reverse message if we continue to divert our trajectory as a Conservative Party - and also by extension the govt and also the country - into a protracted leadership dispute," he wrote on the Conservative Home website.

Norman cited his issues about Johnson's behavior as well as a lack of "goal," probably the clearest hint that criticism of the British leader has expanded beyond a vociferous handful of so-called rebels.

"Neither the Conservative Party nor this nation can afford to waste the next two years adrift and distracted by the unending debate over you and your leadership," he wrote in a letter released on Twitter.

"Remaining in office hurts the electorate and the tens of thousands of individuals who support, volunteer, represent, and actively campaign for our party; it also increases the likelihood of a decisive change of administration at the next election. This has the prospect to be disastrous for the country."