Boris Johnson will soldier on as Britain’s Prime Minister and Tory leader after a majority of his MPs voted that they had confidence in him.
By a margin of 211 votes to 148, Tory MPs backed him to continue as Prime Minister.
However, the margin is smaller than that won by his predecessor, Theresa May, in 2018; amid deep divisions over Brexit, 27% of her MPs voted no confidence in her leadership.
It meant Mrs May survived as Prime Minister but her authority was fatally weakened and she was forced out in the summer of 2019.
Theresa May has arrived to vote in a ballgown
— John Stevens (@johnestevens) June 6, 2022
By contrast, 31% of Mr Johnson’s MPs decided they had no confidence in his leadership and Sky News’ Political Editor Beth Rigby described it as “a very disappointing result” for the Prime Minister.
Although not everyone was downbeat; Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi enthused that it was a “handsome” victory for the Prime Minister and added that, “I hope we can draw a line under this issue."
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seen during a gathering in Number 10 Downing Street on November 13th 2020. Picture by: Sue Gray report/© Crown copyright'Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown'
The Conservative party is no stranger to regicide; in 2003 Iain Duncan Smith resigned after winning the support of 55% of his MPs; while Margaret Thatcher was forced out by her cabinet after winning 55% of the vote.
Main image: Upbeat Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaving Downing Street after the weekly Cabinet Meeting. Credit: Uwe Deffner/Alamy Live News
