Boris Johnson faces a vote of confidence and could fall tonight

Her fate is decided tonight, one day after the end of Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee celebrations. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face a vote of confidence in his leadership of the Conservative Party, after enough MPs have sent letters asking for it.

It will take place between 6pm and 8pm tonight (UK time) in the House of Commons. The announcement of the result is expected one hour after the close of the voting.

For the removal of the prime minister, half of the Conservative MPs plus one would have to vote against him. 180 votes are needed.

If he wins, he will remain party leader and prime minister and be immune from another similar challenge for a year. But if he loses, a contest will be held to choose a new party leader and prime minister, and Johnson will have to step down.

The prime minister has an open invitation to speak before the 1922 Committee. But it is not known whether he will.

The reasons for the vote of confidence are the “Partygate” during the COVID lockdown in Downing St. But above all the lies and hesitations of Boris Johnson on the case. At the Jubilee celebrations he was booed twice in public.

Those who ask you to leave

In a statement, Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative Committee in 1922, revealed that 54 MPs, representing 15% of the parliamentary party, have lost faith in Johnson’s leadership and want to remove him.

The prime minister is confident he will have the support to win a challenge. The Tory rebels need 180 votes to remove him from office.

Over the weekend, the rebels circulated a one-page memorandum listing 13 reasons for removing the prime minister. They concluded that “the only way to restore the conservatives’ fortunes to the point of winning the next general election is to impeach Boris Johnson.”

Jesse Norman, a former Treasury Secretary, posted his letter this morning asking that Johnson leave. “I have supported Boris Johnson for 15 years, for the Mayor of London and for the Prime Minister,” he said. “Very sad, I wrote to tell you that I can’t do it anymore.”

“This is the beginning of the end for Johnson,” said Sir Keir Starmer, the Labor leader. Conservative MPs “must show some leadership and vote against the prime minister”, adding that “he is acting in the national interest”.

Starmer is also facing pressure over allegations of participating in an illegal meeting in Durham during the lockdown. He promised to leave if he gets fined by the police and said he won’t race anymore. “I knew instinctively what I was going to do and I will follow it,” he said.

a merciless battle

Boris Johnson warned Conservative MPs that a leadership contest would be “ruthless and tear the party apart”. Downing St announced: “The only person who will benefit is Keir Starmer.”

In a one-page, 12-point document, the UK government house said supporting Johnson “can leave the distraction of recent months behind.” He argues that “a competition for leadership would be a distraction during the cost of living crisis and the war in Ukraine”.

According to Johnson, the document states, conservative lawmakers can “choose to focus on growing the economy, cutting taxes and making our streets safer.”

Downing St announced that the Prime Minister has “cooperated fully” with the Downing Street party investigation and has a new team. They claim Johnson “led this country through the greatest peacetime crisis of the last few centuries” during the coronavirus pandemic.

In an effort to reassure MPs, Downing St said Johnson is an “absolutely proven election winner”. They explained that parties in power are often injured in polls in the middle of a term.

At least 54 letters with the order

After months of speculation, it was confirmed that at least 54 MPs, 15% of Conservative MPs, wrote to the chairman of the 1922 Conservative MPs Committee, Sir Graham Brady, asking for a vote.

Sir Brady who on Sunday notified the Prime Minister that the number of letters with the requests had been reached and they agreed together the times for the vote.

Sir Graham said he would not disclose when the required number of letters had been reached or how many letters had been sent. But “it wouldn’t be a bad description” to say that some MPs had asked for their letters to be postponed to secure the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The celebrations were not interrupted.

Boris Johnson will make an NHS announcement in an effort to get past the partygate as a resounding poll predicts an electoral defeat for the Conservatives.

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “Tonight is an opportunity to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move forward, respecting people’s priorities.

“The Prime Minister welcomes the opportunity to present his case to parliamentarians and will remind them that when they are united and focused on the issues that matter to the voters, there is no longer formidable political force.”

Conservative Whips, who are calling for a vote for the premier, will now meet the prime minister and try to rally MPs to support him in tonight’s vote.

Party gate effect

The letters came after a prolonged period of lobbying the prime minister over revelations of block-breaking events in Downing Street and Whitehall, for which Johnson was once fined.

Following the release of state official Sue Gray’s overwhelming and comprehensive report on Party Gate, there was a wave of Conservative MPs demanding that the Prime Minister leave.

Sue Gray’s findings prompted enough MPs to send letters. The prime minister must now vote on his leadership, just under two and a half years after winning the largest Conservative majority since the 1980s.

Those loyal to Boris

Moments after Sir Graham announced a no-confidence motion would take place, lawmakers loyal to Johnson expressed their support.

Foreign Minister Liz Truss said the Prime Minister has my “100% support”.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said “the Prime Minister has my full support in today’s vote” and Level Up Secretary Michael Gove said he is voting for the Prime Minister and “we must pass this moment and unite “behind him.

Simon Clarke, chief secretary of the Treasury, said the prime minister has shown “real leadership” and that it is “very clear” that only Johnson won the 2019 election.

Finance Chancellor Rishi Sunak said he supported the prime minister as he “demonstrated the strong leadership our country needs”.

Chris Clarkson, who is among the 2019 Conservative MPs who helped the prime minister win a large majority, said the vote was “absolutely brilliant” and accused “a handful of discontents who did not come up with an alternative plan. consistent for the country “.