UK PM Boris Johnson survives vote of confidence

LONDON: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson managed to win the vote of confidence against him on Monday but the rebellion of the 148 of his conservative party members has weakened his position. 

At least 180 conservative lawmakers were needed to vote against Boris for him to be removed. Boris has secured the support of only 59% of the conservative lawmakers, which is lesser than the votes gotten by his predecessor Theresa May in a vote of confidence in 2018.

News about alcohol-fuelled parties at the PM house amid the Covid-19 lockdown in Downing street had mounted great pressure against him. Boris had scored a sweeping victory in 2019 in the UK general elections.

The incident had forced an anonymous vote of confidence against a, once unassailable, Prime Minister. The scandal turned some of his party lawmakers against Johnson, with one saying that the PM is insulting both the electorate and the party by staying in power.

Jesse Norman, a former junior minister, said before the vote, “You have presided over a culture of casual law-breaking at 10 Downing Street in relation to Covid.”

Boris Johnson’s anti-corruption Chief John Penrose also quit amid the controversy.

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Numerous lawmakers have raised concerns that the 57-year-old Boris has lost his authority to govern the UK, amid the rising risk of recession, and rising fuel and food prices.

However, his cabinet supported him and highlighted his successes such as a quick recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and UK’s response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

In the hours before the ballot, Johnson told his party’s lawmakers he would shore up the economy and return to traditional Conservative policies such as cutting taxes.