British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, weakened by the Downing Street party scandal during the pandemic, will be subject to a Conservative Party vote of confidence today that could either remove him from power or ensure his long term stay in office. at least 12 more months.
In order for the vote to take place, at least 15% or 54 of the 359 MPs of the Conservative majority had to be requested by letter.
Forty Conservative lawmakers publicly demanded the controversial prime minister’s resignation last week, but the procedure was kept secret until the required number was reached.
Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee that leads the Conservative caucus, said on Monday that Johnson was told Sunday night the vote had been activated.
Brady, sending letters from some of the MPs, II. He said he had decided to postpone until the end of the “platinum jubilee”, the four-day celebrations in England to mark the 70th anniversary of Elizabeth’s reign.
Graham and Johnson agreed that “according to the established rules, the vote should take place as soon as possible and will take place today.”
The procedure will take place between 18:00 and 20:00 local time (14:00 and 16:00 Brazilian time), with the vote counting immediately after, but according to a brief statement when will not be announced. or how to explain the result.
If the prime minister is defeated, the party will have to hold an internal election in the coming weeks to appoint a new leader who will automatically become the new prime minister of Great Britain.
If Johnson wins, he won’t be subject to a similar vote of confidence for a year.
A spokesperson for the prime minister said the vote was an opportunity to “end it and move forward”.
“The Prime Minister is grateful for the opportunity to present his case to lawmakers and will remind them that when we unite and focus on causes that matter to our voters, there is no stronger political force than the Conservative Party,” the spokesperson said. -sound.
‘grotesque’ defense
“Partygate”, the party scandal that was organized during the curfew that came into effect during the pandemic that started six months ago, escalated after an internal report was released on May 25 detailing the scale of anti-covid rule violations on Downing Street, leading to Johnson’s new resignation requests. caused.
The author accused high-ranking officer Sue Gray of “relevant senior officials” celebrating several events marked by binge drinking in government buildings, while the British were deprived of meetings with their family and friends.
He did not name Johnson, who was fined only £50 ($63) for attending a party for his 56th birthday in the cabinet room on June 19, 2020.
In his defense, the Conservative leader said he “did not realize” that the short meeting “could mean a violation of the rules”.
He claimed to take “all responsibility for what happened” at other commemorations in his office, but defended his actions and refused to step down, claiming he had a responsibility to move forward with “priorities” such as the war in Ukraine and the crisis in Ukraine. the cost of living that imposes sacrifices and hardship on many Britons.
But the speech did not convince many in his party, such as Representative Jesse Norman, who described the line of defense as “grotesque” and announced that he had withdrawn his support of Boris Johnson for 15 years as mayor of London. diplomacy and prime minister.
But the head of government also has a few supporters. “I don’t know of any party leader, be it the Conservative Party or any other entity that has 100% support from his comrades,” Health Minister Sajid Javid said, confident the majority would trust Johnson.
“The Prime Minister has my 100% support in today’s vote and I urge my colleagues to support him,” said Secretary of State Liz Truss, who is seen as one of the candidates to replace Johnson if he is removed from power.
source: Noticias
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