Boris Johnson was clinging to his premiership on Monday night after 148 of his MPs voted to oust him from Downing Street in a ballot that exposed potentially fatal rifts within his party.
The prime minister won the support of 211 MPs but 41 per cent of his party voted to get rid of him, with many citing his lack of repentance over the Partygate scandal and the public’s loss of trust in his leadership. It was the worst verdict on a sitting prime minister by their own party in recent times.
Although Johnson’s allies claimed the vote as a victory, many Conservative MPs including some of his supporters believe the attempted coup is the beginning of the end for his three-year premiership.
Speaking after the vote, Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, claimed Johnson had “won handsomely” and he hoped the result would “draw a line under all the speculation from the media and Twitterati”, leading to a “united party”.
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Zahawi said: “I think the important thing to remember is that whichever side of the argument you’re on on this, the one thing we all believe in is democracy. “That was a ballot, the prime minister won handsomely. I think the important thing to remember is that we only are able to deliver if we are united. I hope we can draw a line under this now and focused on delivery.”
Pressed on how he can call the result “handsome”, Mr Zahawi said: “It’s a ballot. Fifty [per cent] plus one is a majority. Boris did much better than that.” Asked about whether there would now be a Tory civil war, Mr Zahawi said: “All of my colleagues, whichever way they voted, know that we win the election when we are united. People don’t vote for divided parties – that’s my message. We’re democrats above everything else and I think you’ll find every colleague – even those who voted against the prime minister tonight – will agree with that statement.”
However, rebel MPs said Johnson should quit for the good of the party and the country. Sir Roger Gale, one of Johnson’s leading critics, said a “prime minister of honour” should realise he had lost the support of a sizeable number of his MPs. He suggested rebels would continue to oppose Johnson remaining as prime minister.
The scale of the rebellion means some government ministers and aides must have voted against Johnson in the secret ballot, while remaining publicly supportive.
‘Lawbreaker and liar’
Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said the Conservative party “believes the British public now have no right to expect honest politicians”, while Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, said Tory MPs have “narrowly voted to keep a lawbreaker and liar in No 10″.
Labour leader Keir Starmer claimed the result means the Tory party believes “breaking the law is no impediment to making the law” and that people have “no right to expect honest politicians”. Referring to the Queen’s platinum Jubilee, which he described as a tribute to “humility, decency and respect”, Starmer also argued it was “grotesque” that the day after the celebrations ended, the Conservatives had thrown those values “on the bonfire”. In his statement, Starmer said: “This evening, the Conservative Party had a decision to make. To show some backbone or to back Boris Johnson.
“The British public are fed up. Fed up with a prime minister who promises big but never delivers. Fed up with a prime minister who has presided over a culture of lies and lawbreaking at the heart of government. Fed up with a prime minister who is utterly unfit for the great office he holds.
“Conservative MPs made their choice tonight. They have ignored the British public and hitched themselves and their party firmly to Boris Johnson and everything he represents.”
He went on to say: “The Conservative Party now believes that good government focused on improving lives is too much to ask.
“The Conservative Party now believes that breaking the law is no impediment to making the law. The Conservative Party now believes that the British public have no right to expect honest politicians. Over the weekend the whole country celebrated the Queen’s platinum jubilee. It was a tribute to 70 years of humility, decency and respect. A reminder of our common cause to build a better a country for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren.
“It is grotesque that the very next day the Conservative Party has chosen to throw that sense of duty and those values on the bonfire.”
Starmer argued the choice in British politics was “clearer tonight than ever before”. “A Labour Party united under my leadership with a plan to ensure Britain is never again plunged into a cost-of-living crisis, focused on growing the economy so that we can afford world-class schools and hospitals, and determined to restore trust in politics. Or a Conservative Party that is divided, propping up Boris Johnson with no plan to tackle the issues facing you and your family,” he said.