The BBC reported on Wednesday that the government led by Johnson’s Conservative Tories was planning its own no-confidence vote on Monday. The Tory presidential election has already started, and before it began, the tone among the candidates became increasingly sharp.
Johnson wants to remain prime minister until a successor is elected
The government in London had previously blocked a no-confidence motion formulated by the opposition Labor Party on the grounds that Johnson should not appear in it because he had already announced his resignation. If the government loses the vote, it could lead to new elections. There has also been opposition from Conservative MPs to Johnson’s plans to remain in office until a successor is elected by the Tories.
Given the majority in the House of Commons, anyone who succeeds Johnson as Tory leader will also lead the government. Johnson’s party announced on Monday that the election of its leader should be completed on September 5th. However, Labor is up in arms against Johnson remaining Prime Minister until then and has therefore requested a vote of no confidence.
According to usual practice, the government would have to plan time for this during the parliamentary sessions, which it initially refused to do in the most recent case. A government spokeswoman said the opposition would get their vote if they submitted a reformulated motion. With the existing application, Labor only wants to tactic. Labor spoke of abuse of power and an unprecedented crackdown. The final session schedule for Wednesday was still pending at noon.
Johnson: “I’ll leave with my head held high soon”
The Tory presidential election is now underway. Johnson declared in Parliament that the Conservatives would stand united behind any party-internal election winner. He himself is proud of his work. “I will soon leave with my head held high,” he said.
In the race to succeed him, the candidates outbid each other with promises. Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi promised tax cuts and the construction of 100 schools in the country on Sky News on Wednesday if he succeeded Johnson as conservative party leader and prime minister. The tone is also sharper: Favorite Rishi Sunak is accused of “dirty tricks”.
A few more of the eight candidates also tried to win over the 358 Tory MPs with promises of tax cuts. Ex-Finance Minister Sunak struck a slightly different note. He told the Telegraph that he wanted to continue the tradition of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and cut taxes “responsibly”. “You have to earn what you spend first,” said Sunak, currently the favourite.
Sunak drew criticism from supporters of Secretary of State Liz Truss. Culture Minister Nadine Dorries accused Sunak’s team of “dirty tricks” to gain an advantage in the selection process. Truss is considered one of the favorites alongside Secretary of Commerce Penny Mordaunt. Sunak supporters are accused of having lent votes to ex-Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to push an easy-to-beat candidate through to the finals.
Brexit Secretary of State Jacob Rees-Mogg also attacked Sunak. Rees-Mogg told Sky News that the ex-Treasury Secretary had pushed through “economically damaging” tax increases. He had previously even compared Sunak’s tax policy to socialism, a swear word used by British Conservatives. Both Dorries and Rees-Mogg are considered staunch Johnson supporters. Both spoke in favor of Truss as his successor.
Sunak is accused of stabbing Johnson in the back when he was Treasury Secretary. Media speculated that Johnson supporters were therefore working to bring down Sunak. Also in the running are General Counsel Suella Braverman, Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Tom Tugendhat, ex-Health Secretary Hunt and MP Kemi Badenoch.
The result of the second round of the selection process is expected at 6 p.m. (CEST). Only those who receive 30 votes or more remain in the race. Group voting continues until only two candidates remain. These should then face a runoff election of the party members over the summer. A Johnson successor is to be chosen on September 5th.
Source: Nachrichten
