Boris Johnson to remain as UK PM after securing the backing of Conservative MPs
Boris Johnson will remain as UK prime minister after tonight securing the backing of Conservative MPs.
A vote of confidence was triggered in Johnson amid public anger at drink-fuelled gatherings at the heart of government during COVID lockdowns.
But Johnson received the backing of 211 MPs during Monday's vote, with 148 voting against him. The result means he retains the confidence of 59 per cent of his parliamentary party.
Johnson’s winning margin is less than that secured by his predecessor Theresa May in a similar vote in December 2018. She was forced to resign six months later.
Most political observers had predicted Johnson would defeat the challenge. Lilah Howson-Smith, a former special advisor to Boris Johnson and Theresa May, told Euronews "there is no clear successor, which has been very helpful for Boris Johnson."
A watershed moment
But the rebellion represents a watershed moment for Johnson — and is a sign of deep Conservative divisions, less than three years after Johnson led the party to its biggest election victory in decades.
"As far as his authority in the country is concerned, I think he is gone already. And I think the longer that the conservative party hangs on to him, the more damaging it is for them, "former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman Alastair Campbell told Euronews.
"The country is far more interested in the cost of living crisis, in the climate crisis, in Ukraine, in all these difficult economic changes we face (than the partygate scandal)," he added.
Under existing Tory party rules, Johnson now cannot face another leadership challenge for a further 12 months.
But in practice, Johnson is likely to face more pressure. The war in Ukraine, a simmering post-Brexit feud with the EU and
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