Boris Johnson seeks a second wind at the worst moment of his government

Boris Johnson seeks a second wind at the worst moment of his government

The prime minister on Monday survived a vote of confidence from his own party, triggered by rebellious Conservative MPs jaded by scandals like the “party-gate“, the parties held in Downing Street during the lockdowns for the Covid-19.

Although under current rules Boris Johnson cannot be the subject of another internal vote of confidence for a year, he has the delicate task of bringing back his troops and his electorate, outraged by scandals and strangled by inflation, which is at its highest level. in 40 years.

On Tuesday morning, at the start of a cabinet meeting, Johnson said his government can finally put controversy aside and “go on talking about what the people of this country want.”

His goal now, he said, is “to move the country forward” by relying on measures that benefit the British in full purchasing power crisis.

Although on Monday night Boris Johnson celebrated the “compelling” result of the secret ballot, more than 40% of his deputies (148 of 359) said they do not trust himwhich reflects the magnitude of the unrest and the blow dealt to his authority among his ranks.

By comparison, the former prime minister Theresa May she survived a no-confidence motion in 2018 by a larger margin, before being forced to resign a few months later.

If Johnson had been defeated, the party would have called an internal election to appoint a new leader, who would automatically become head of government in the United Kingdom. But although there are rumors about the possible candidates to replace him, none of them really stand out, which benefits the premier.

Boris Johnson, who came to power triumphantly in 2019, must now regain lost ground in a plummeting popularity, UK newspapers stressed on Tuesday.

UK Newspapers Motion of No Confidence Boris FotoJohnson

Photo: The Guardian

An “injured Johnson is in danger,” headlined The i Paper as the left-wing newspaper The Guardian called the vote result “humiliation” for the prime minister.

On the conservative side, The Telegraph claimed that this “petty victory divide the Tories.”

Eager to restore his authority, the 57-year-old leader could reshuffle his government to reward his closest allies and oust his more lukewarm supporters, according to reports.

Among the loyalists, the Minister of Justice, Dominic Raaburged the rebels to “respect the vote” and called for “advance”, echoing the message launched the day before by the prime minister.

But even if he survives, the damage is “considerable,” former Conservative leader William Hague warned the Times. “Words have been spoken that cannot be retracted, reports have been published that cannot be erased, and votes have been cast that show a level of rejection higher than ever towards a conservative leader“, he claimed.

Despite the relief that has come from convincing most of his deputies, Boris Johnson has not finished with the repercussions of the “party-gate”.

After the investigations of the police and the internal report of the senior official Sue Gray, another investigation is planned, this time parliamentary. If this concludes, a priori in autumn, which Johnson knowingly lied to the House of Commons by claiming that he had not broken the rules, the code of conduct dictates that he should resign.

Two by-elections scheduled for June 23 will also be a test for the Conservative leader, who on Monday ruled out calling early elections in the UK.

The successive polls are catastrophic for the conservative majority, less and less convinced that their leader, who triumphed at the polls in 2019, is the most suitable to lead them to a new victory in the 2024 legislative elections.

Source: Ambito

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