Conservative British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing the prospect of a "no confidence" vote in Parliament for his handling of the recent COVID surges and his flouting of lockdown restrictions by allowing parties for his staff, even on the eve of Prince Phillip's funeral. Johnson delivered a defiant defense of his stewardship earlier today before the House of Commons, but faced calls from his own party to step down:
"Conservative legislators are judging whether to trigger a no-confidence vote in Johnson amid public anger over the 'partygate' allegations. It’s a stunning reversal of fortune for a politician who just over two years ago led the Conservatives to their biggest election victory in almost 40 years.
Under Conservative Party rules, a no-confidence vote in the party’s leader can be triggered if 54 party lawmakers — 15% of the party’s House of Commons total — write letters to a party official demanding it.
So far only a handful of Conservative members of Parliament have openly called for Johnson to quit, though several dozen are believed to have submitted letters, including some elected as part of a Johnson-led landslide in December 2019."
Conservative lawmaker Andrew Bridgen, who is calling for a change, said he thought the 54-letter threshold would be reached 'this week,' setting the stage for a confidence vote within days. (our emphasis)
One former Conservative cabinet member, David Davis, told Johnson during the session, "in the name of God, go!"
It's worth noting that while a "no confidence" vote remains to be seen, Johnson's own party members are threatening to remove him for an offense that in recent U.S. politics would be a story lasting one or two news cycles. The Republican / Seditionist / White Grievance party members defending the corrupt, autocratic Malignant Loser over far worse offenses must wonder what all the fuss is about.
(photo: Johnson flying high back in the day. Barcroft Media)
