Why Boris Johnson could call a vote of no confidence on himself
Boris Johnson may face further future fines warns Hope
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak are among 50 to have been served fines for attending illegal parties held while the country was in lockdown. This comes as part of the Metropolitan Police’s investigation into 12 reported gatherings at Mr Johnson’s Downing Street office and the Cabinet Office, of which Mr Johnson is believed to have attended six of them – meaning further fines could be imminent.
Both Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak apologised on Tuesday and confirmed they had paid the fines imposed, however, both have since resisted calls for their resignations.
Conservative MP for Amber Valley, Nigel Mills, is thought to be the first Tory backbencher to call for Mr Johnson to fall on his sword.
When asked if he thought Mr Johnson’s position was untenable, Mr Mills said: “Yeah, I think for a Prime Minister in office to be given a fine and accept it and pay it for breaking the laws that he introduced… is just an impossible position.
“We have every right to expect higher standards of people making these laws… so the idea that he can survive having broken one and accepted he has broken (it), I just think is impossible.”
The Government is currently in uncharted waters, as the scandal makes Mr Johnson the first serving Prime Minister of the UK to be sanctioned for breaking the law.
This, compounded by the unfolding public outrage, leaves Mr Johnson in a sticky situation, with many questioning how he can possibly move forward as Prime Minister.
One solution could be for Mr Johnson to call a vote of no confidence on himself – but this is always a risky option.
Why Boris Johnson could call a vote of no confidence on himself
By calling a vote of no confidence on himself, Mr Johnson would be able to draw a line under the scandalous events.
Tory MPs can remove a leader by triggering a vote of no confidence. This takes place when at least 15 percent of the party submits letters to the Chairman of the 1922 Committee, Graham Brady, outlining their confidence vote.
The Conservative Party consists of 360 MPs, meaning 54 MPs would need to write these letters for a confidence vote to be called.
If enough MPs vote, a leadership contest would be held and the Prime Minister would be replaced with whoever wins.
However, by calling a vote of no confidence on himself, Mr Johnson would be directly calling for his party to determine his future instead of having it be called on him.
If this were to take place and too few MPs cast a vote, he’d remain in power, comfortable in the knowledge that he gave people the option to remove him, but no one wished to do so.
So, if Mr Johnson was confident enough that a majority of the MPs would back him rather than sack him, this would be an effective way to draw a line in the sand and move on.
DON’T MISS:
Boris Johnson replacement: The top 10 Tories in line to become PM [ANALYSIS]
POLL: Should Queen sack Boris Johnson for lying to her? [POLL]
Is your MP supporting Boris? Full list of MPs backing the PM [INSIGHT]
Ex-PM Theresa May carried this out in 2019 when under fire for her inability to pass a Brexit deal, which she won. To call a vote of no confidence on yourself when in parliament is a powerful method to precipitate stronger support from parliament.
At the moment, it appears Mr Mills’ comments come in stark contrast to those of other Tory MPs, as many have instead shown support for Mr Johnson; praising his leadership during Covid, Brexit, and the war in Ukraine.
A Home Office source said Mr Johnson has Home Secretary Priti Patel’s “full support” but it is difficult for Home Office ministers to comment on ongoing police investigations.
Former Conservative Cabinet minister Lord David Frost told LBC he does not think a fixed penalty notice is “in itself grounds for resignation”.
However, he added: “I think it’s very important in our constitutional system that correct information is given to Parliament, so I hope the Prime Minister comes to the House on Tuesday and makes it clear what the actual position is.”
Meanwhile, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the SNP have been backing calls for the Commons to be recalled from its two-week Easter break to allow the Prime Minister to “tender his resignation” in person to MPs.
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak do not seem to understand how “deeply offensive” their lockdown breaches are.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “People have never made, collectively or personally, the sacrifices that were made during the pandemic outside of wartime.
“And the Prime Minister and the Chancellor still don’t seem to understand how deeply offensive it is, especially to those who lost loved ones, or who were not there for the birth of their child, or for the death of a loved one.”
It is unclear what will happen next, but as the investigation transpires and more fixed penalties are potentially issued, the Prime Minister’s position could still potentially be threatened if he loses the confidence of his party.
Source: Read Full Article
