Is the party OVER? Boris hails 'convincing' confidence vote (1)

Is the party OVER? Boris hails 'convincing' confidence vote and begs Tories to 'move on' despite huge blow with 148 of his 359 MPs joining revolt after he pleaded for them not to gift Labour the next election

• MPs had until 8pm to cast their votes for or against Boris Johnson, with result of the ballot declared at 9pm
• Some 148 out of 359 rebelled against the PM leaving him seriously damaged despite staying in his post
• The PM's allies have insisted he will 'fight his corner' amid warnings that an early general election is possible
• Backbench chief Sir Graham Brady called a full vote after receiving 54 letters from MPs calling for one
• ** Follow MailOnline's liveblog for the latest updates on vote of confidence in Mr Johnson by clicking here **

By JAMES TAPSFIELD, MAILONLINE POLITICAL EDITOR and DAVID WILCOCK, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR and GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT and CHAY QUINN

PUBLISHED: 06:01 AEST, 7 June 2022 | UPDATED: 08:36 AEST, 7 June 2022

 

Boris Johnson tried to put a brave face on a grim result in the Tory confidence vote tonight - with 148 of his 359 MPs lining up against him.

The PM hailed a 'convincing' result after avoiding the humiliation of outright defeat, saying it is time for the party to 'move on' and focus on the 'things that really matter to people'.

But the scale of the numbers racked up by rebels in the secret ballot will raise fears that the Tories will be torn to pieces by a civil war.

 

He was backed by just 59 per cent of the parliamentary party - worse than the 63 per cent recorded by Theresa May when she faced a challenge. She was gone within six months. Three-quarters of MPs not serving as ministers or in other official posts went against the premier.

How does Boris's result compare to previous Tory confidence votes?

Boris Johnson - June 2022

211 votes in favour (59 per cent)

148 votes against (41 per cent)

Majority: 63

Theresa May - December 2018

200 votes in favour (63 per cent)

117 votes against (37 per cent)

Majority: 83

Iain Duncan Smith - October 2003

90 votes against (45.5 per cent)

75 votes for (55.5 per cent)

Majority: 15

John Major - July 1995

218 votes for (66 per cent)

89 votes for challenger John Redwood (27 per cent)

22 abstentions (seven per cent)

Majority: 129

Margaret Thatcher - November 1990

204 votes for (55 per cent)

152 votes for challenger Michael Heseltine (41 per cent)

16 abstentions (four per cent)

Majority: 52

Margaret Thatcher - December 1989

314 votes for (90.5 per cent)

33 votes for challenger Sir Anthony Meyer (9.5 per cent)

Majority: 281

 

 

Cabinet figures immediately tried to shore up Mr Johnson, branding the outcome a 'handsome' victory and urging rebels to 'move on'.

But the bombshell result came despite Mr Johnson begging his troops not to do Keir Starmer's work for him in a last-ditch speech, pointing out there is no obvious successor who would be better.

It was the culmination of 13 hours of high drama, which began at 8am when backbench chief Graham Brady confirmed that the premier's political enemies had reached the threshold of 54 letters to trigger a full confidence ballot.

During the day the number of declared rebels steadily ticked up, notably including rival Jeremy Hunt, John Penrose and John Lamont - the latter two quitting as anti-corruption tsar and ministerial aide respectively.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross also completed the latest phase of his extraordinary flip-flopping by declaring he voted against the PM, having previously sent a letter to Sir Graham and then withdrawn it. But many others seem to have taken advantage of the secret ballot to plunge the knife in without breaking cover.

Red Wall MP Dehenna Davison and Tewkesbury MP Laurence Robertson were among those who declared they had voted against Mr Johnson.

Mr Johnson will now need to calculate whether he has the political leverage to carry out a reshuffle that could start to restore his shattered authority.

However, the history of leaders surviving in the medium-term in the wake of confidence votes is not encouraging.

Jubilant rebels insisted there is no way that Mr Johnson can now lead the party into the next general election. Another moment of extreme danger is coming down the tracks with by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton on June 23.

Sir Keir said Mr Johnson was 'utterly unfit for the great office he holds' and accused Tory MPs of ignoring the British public.

He said: 'The Conservative Government now believes that breaking the law is no impediment to making the law.'

Mr Johnson said: 'I think this is a very good result for politics and for the country.

'I think it's a convincing result, a decisive result and what it means is that as a Government we can move on and focus on the stuff I think really matters to people.'

He added: 'I've got a far bigger mandate from my own parliamentary colleagues, for instance, than I had in 2019.

'I'm grateful to colleagues, I'm grateful for the support they've given me.

'Of course I understand that what we need to do now is come together as a Government, as a party and that is exactly what we can now do.

'What this gives us is the opportunity to put behind us all the stuff I know the media have quite properly wanted to focus on for a very long time, and to do our job - which is to focus on the stuff I think the public actually want us to be talking about.

'Which is what we are doing to help the people of this country and all the things we're doing to take this country forward.

'So what this means tonight is that we can focus on exactly that.'

The PM also insisted he was 'certainly not interested in snap elections' as he dismissed speculation he might soon go to the country to seek a fresh mandate from voters.

On another breathless day of chaos at Westminster:

• The Cabinet launched an extraordinary media blitz designed to prop up the premier, insisting he had been right on the 'big decisions';
• More than a dozen Tory donors have lined up behind Mr Johnson saying a leadership contest would 'waste precious time;
• Blue-on-blue tensions flared into open abuse with Nadine Dorries lashing out at Jeremy Hunt over his leadership ambitions;
• An unnamed Tory MP accused of rape was able to vote because they have not been suspended from the whip;
• Labour and the Lib Dems gleefully seized on the shambles as they hope to win by-elections in Tiverton and Wakefield from the Conservatives.

) faced a brutal blow as 148 MPs rebelled in a confidence vote tonight, with the result announced by 1922 chair Graham Brady (right)

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Mr Johnson addressed his mutinous troops this afternoon and told them successful 'fratricide' would gift Keir Starmer (pictured leaving Parliament this evening) and his party an election win

 

 

Former minister Jesse Norman (right) accused the PM of 'grotesque' behaviour over Partygate in an excoriating letter to Conservative backbench chief Graham Brady. Jeremy Hunt (left) - who lost the last leadership contest to Mr Johnson - tweeted saying that he will vote against the PM.

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John Penrose, an MP who served as the premier's anti-corruption champion and husband of ex NHS Test and Trace chief Dido Harding, said he had 'no option' but to resign as Mr Johnson had broken the ministerial code. 'I think it's over,' he said

 

 

PM put a brave face on at Jubilee bash after learning about confidence vote

Boris Johnson put a brave face on at a Jubilee bash yesterday after learning about the looming confidence vote.

The PM was notified of the challenge by Sir Graham Brady early yesterday afternoon, and they discussed the timetable for the vote.

He then attended the pageant with wife Carrie, seemingly without a care in the world.

However, Mr Johnson is believed to have gathered close aides and election guru Lynton Crosby in No10 last night to consider his plan of attack.

They decided to send personalised letters to all MPs, and play up the idea that he personally was the one who secured 14million votes at the 2019 election. C

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Chancellor Rishi Sunak said it is 'time to move forward' after the Prime Minister's confidence vote victory.

'The PM has won the confidence vote and now it's time to move forward,' he tweeted.

'Tomorrow we get back to work growing the economy and delivering better public services.'

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said Mr Johnson won the vote 'handsomely'.

Speaking to Sky News in Westminster's central lobby after the result was announced, the Education Secretary 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,' he added.

'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. 50 plus one is a majority. Boris did much better than that.'

Liz Truss and Michael Gove both tweeted their support for Mr Johnson.

The Foreign Secretary wrote: 'Pleased that colleagues have backed the Prime Minister.

'I support him 100 per cent. Now's the time to get on with the job.'

The Housing Secretary said it is time to 'focus on the people's priorities' now that the Prime Minister has 'secured' the trust of his MPs.

Mr Gove wrote: 'The PM has secured the support of Conservative MPs – now we must carry out what we were elected to deliver – levelling up, cutting crime, securing the benefits of Brexit and improving public services.'

'Let's get on with delivery and focus on the people's priorities.'

Ms Dorries said it is 'time to get back to the job of governing'.

The Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire tweeted: 'The person Starmer doesn't want to face at an election is Boris Johnson who secured the biggest Conservative majority since 1987 and the highest share of the vote (43.6 per cent) of any party since 1979, with 14 million votes.

'Time to get back to the job of governing.'

One ally, Blackpool MP Scott Benton, admitted it was not a good result.

'Of course I support Boris Johnson. Would I have liked the majority to be higher for him this evening? Of course, I would,' he said.

'But as a Conservative Party we do one thing very well, and that's uniting and fighting the opposition.'

But Sir Roger Gale, an outspoken critic of the Prime Minister who voted 'no confidence', said he still thinks Mr Johnson should not take the party into the next election.

Speaking to Sky News about whether this means the issue is settled, Sir Roger said: 'Unfortunately, the issue can't be settled like that.

'Over a third of the Parliamentary party has expressed no confidence in the Prime Minister.'

He added that MPs have 'a job to do' and that he is 'not one of those who believes in a vote strike'.

Asked if he thinks Boris Johnson should continue as Prime Minister, he said: 'No, I've expressed my view very clearly.

'I don't believe that he should take the party into the next general election and I think there are other elephant traps down the road – two by-elections coming up, the Privileges Committee report in the autumn – there are a lot of hurdles ahead and I think a Prime Minister of honour would look at the figures, accept the fact that he has lost the support of a significant proportion of his party and consider his position, but I don't think he'll do that.'

After almost the entire Cabinet took to the airwaves urging MPs to allow more time, Mr Johnson addressed a meeting of the 1922 Committee this afternoon warning them successful 'fratricide' would be a gift to Labour and the Lib Dems.

MPs cast their votes between 6pm and 8pm, forming long queues outside the ballot station in the depths of the Commons, before the result was announced at 9pm.

Mr Johnson made a final plea for unity at the meeting of the parliamentary party, telling them he is the only leadership option with a 'credible plan' for how to move forward.

'I've yet to see a credible plan from anyone else,' he said in a a 26-minute behind-closed-doors appearance. 'I will lead you to victory again.'

The PM also faced some hostile questions, but insisted Conservatives should not waste time on 'a pointless fratricidal debate about the future of the party'. MPs said he made a vague allusion to tax cuts - being demanded by many Tories - but was 'not specific'.

He risked stoking Partygate fury by insisting he was right to attend leaving dos in Downing Street and would 'do it again'. There were cheers when senior backbencher Charles Walker said Mr Johnson had 'driven him wild' at times.

Outside the meeting, a senior Tory source caused a storm by swiping that the media should find 'other interesting things to talk about' than the row over Whitehall lockdown breaches. 'Is there anyone here who hasn't got p***ed in their lives?' the source told waiting journalists. 'Is there anyone here who doesn't like a glass of wine.'

More than half of the 359 eligible MPs backing him in the secret vote means in theory he is safe for a year - with some insurgents fearing they moved too early ahead of key by-elections later this month.

Cabinet ministers were insisting beforehand that a single vote would be enough.

Tory enforcers spent the day cajoling the rank-and-file, with chief whip Chris Heaton-Harris sending out a round-robin message to MPs offering to do proxy votes on their behalf. Politicians have also been warned by Sir Graham that their ballots will be void if they take photographs of papers - in an effort to prevent pressure tactics.

In a statement this evening, Mr Ross completed another extraordinary U-turn over his stance on Mr Johnson.

How did the day of drama at Westminster play out?

8am: 1922 committee chair Graham Brady announced that a confidence vote will be held

4pm: Boris Johnson addressed Tory MPs pleading for them to support him

6pm-8pm: Votes were cast in the confidence ballot

9pm: Results were announced

 

 

'Having listened closely to people in Moray who re-elected me to represent them, and from many people across Scotland, now that this confidence vote is upon us, I cannot in good faith support Boris Johnson,' he said. 'My vote tonight will support the motion of no confidence.'

John Penrose, a usually-loyal MP who served as the premier's anti-corruption champion, said he had 'no option' but to resign as Mr Johnson had broken the ministerial code. 'I think it's over,' he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Hunt - who lost the last leadership contest to Mr Johnson - tweeted saying that he will vote against the PM.

'Anyone who believes our country is stronger, fairer & more prosperous when led by Conservatives should reflect that the consequence of not changing will be to hand the country to others who do not share those values. Today's decision is change or lose. I will be voting for change,' he wrote.

There was speculation that more senior figures might quit to join the insurrection, with trade minister Penny Mordaunt seen as on 'resignation watch'. She tweeted today that she is in her Portsmouth constituency for a D-Day anniversary commemoration - but pointedly did not offer full-throated backing for the premier.

Mr Johnson attempted to show he was getting on with the job with pictures of him on the phone to Ukraine's President Zelensky.

And in letters to MPs - which he is said to have spent an hour signing by hand - he insisted: 'With your support, I believe that tonight we have a great prize within our grasp... We can get on with the job without the noises off.'

The premier received a limited boost from a snap poll by Opinium showing that although voters overall want Tories to oust him, Conservative supports would rather keep him on by a margin of 53 per cent to 34 per cent.

A YouGov poll of Tory members found they would prefer him to stay on by 53 per cent to 42 per cent.

Cabinet ministers rallied round this morning, with Rishi Sunak pledging his support, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss saying he has her '100 per cent backing'. Deputy PM Dominic Raab and Michael Gove also stood by him, while Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: 'If he got a majority of one, that's enough to move on.'

In a vicious riposte to Mr Hunt on social media, Ms Dorries said: 'Your handling of the pandemic would have been a disaster.

'Your pandemic preparation during six years as health secretary was found wanting and inadequate. Your duplicity right now in destabilising the party and country to serve your own personal ambition, more so...

'If you had been leader you'd have handed the keys of No10 to Corbyn. You've been wrong about almost everything, you are wrong again now.'

Ex-Cabinet minister David Davis cautioned that Mr Johnson's problems 'won't go away' if there is 'anything less than a two thirds majority', although he will 'hang on'.

'You may remember after Theresa May won her first vote actually... moderately comfortably, she accepted that her time was was limited.

'Her days were numbered, and she would deliver various things before she then stood down. I don't think that will happen with Boris. He'll hang on.'

Another senior MP who has been generally supportive of Mr Johnson told MailOnline that anything more than 100 MPs voting against him would be 'very bad', arguing that the 150-plus MPs on the payroll are already priced in.

'He will win, but how much he wins by is the most important thing. Fewer than 100 would be good, anything more very bad. The payroll vote has to back him, so people will look at whether he's got a majority on the back benches,' they said.

The MP also grimly recalled that other leaders, such as Mrs May, had not survived for long even after winning a confidence vote. 'These things never end well. The genie is out of the bottle,' they said.

A Northern MP told MailOnline that the situation seemed more serious than previous flare-ups against Mr Johnson and predicted the number of rebels will be 'higher than 100'. 'There's been a lack of people apart from the obvious ones who were willing to go on camera,' they said. 'No-one is expecting him to lose but it doesn't seem full-throated approval.'

Mr Johnson's former communications director Will Walden said he would be taken 'kicking and screaming' out of No10. But he cautioned that history shows if a PM does not record a 'convincing' win then 'ultimately you bleed to death'.

'Boris will be taken kicking and screaming out of the front door of Number 10. There is no way that the thing that he has wanted all his life he is going to give up easily on,' he told the BBC.

'The idea that Boris Johnson is going to go is for the birds, and it will take several people with revolvers in the room to convince him to go.'

However, a supportive MP argued that Mr Johnson only secured 51 per cent of the MP votes in the leadership contest. They told MailOnline: 'There is clearly a hostile group of MPs who never liked Boris. The result should be judged if he gets more than last time.'

Scots Tory leader Ross U-turns AGAIN to vote against Boris Johnson

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross tonight confirmed he has performed yet another U-turn and will vote to remove Boris Johnson from power.

Mr Ross was the most senior Conservative to demand the PM step down, sending in a letter of no confidence in January.

But he retracted the letter in March and backed Mr Johnson to stay in place, citing the war in Ukraine.

He repeated this position as recently as a fortnight ago when, after Sue Gray published her report, he backed him to continue.

But this afternoon, after a vote of no confidence was called, he confirmed he was changing his mind yet again, saying he 'cannot in good faith support Boris Johnson'.

'I have heard loud and clear the anger at the breaking of Covid rules that we all did our best to follow, and even more so at the statements to Parliament from the Prime Minister on this topic,' he said in a statement.

'Having listened closely to people in Moray who re-elected me to represent them, and from many people across Scotland, now that this confidence vote is upon us, I cannot in good faith support Boris Johnson.

'My vote tonight will support the motion of no confidence.'

Despite saying he would vote against the Prime Minister, Mr Ross added that he 'can be proud of many of the successes his government have led on, particularly the Covid vaccine and the furlough scheme'.

 

 

Sir Graham, who waited for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations to end before notifying No10 last night and agreeing the timetable, said in a statement: 'The threshold of 15 per cent of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party has been exceeded.

'In accordance with the rules, a ballot will be held between 1800 and 2000 today, Monday 6th June — details to be confirmed.

'The votes will be counted immediately afterwards. An announcement will be made at a time to be advised. Arrangements for the announcement will be released later today.'

Sir Graham said he hoped there would be a 'clear result'. Two Tories - Rob Roberts and David Warburton and are currently suspended from the whip - but another unnamed MP accused of rape was able to vote.

Mr Johnson told the meeting this evening: 'I understand the anxieties of people who have triggered this vote'.

He added: 'I humbly submit to you that this is not the moment for a leisurely and entirely unforced domestic political drama and months and months of vacillation from the UK.'

At a time when Vladimir Putin's forces are fighting in Ukraine, Mr Johnson said: 'This is the moment for us to lift our gaze from our navel.'

He warned MPs not to 'dance to the tune of the media' and called for an end to the 'media-driven focus on the leadership of the Conservative Party'.

In an attempt to win round low-tax Conservatives, Mr Johnson said: 'Everyone understands the fiscal impact of Covid, the cost of clearing the backlogs, but the way out now is to drive supply side reform on Conservative principles and to cut taxes.'

In a letter to Conservatives earlier, Mr Johnson wrote: 'I know that over recent months I have come under a great deal of fire, and I know that experience has been painful for the whole party.

'Some of that criticism has perhaps been fair, some less so. Where there have been valid points, I have listened and learned and made significant changes.

'And I will of course continue to listen and learn from colleagues about the improvements you wish to see.

'But I cannot stress too much that we have a golden chance to put this behind us now.

'With your support, I believe that tonight we have a great prize within our grasp. We can put an end to the media's favourite obsession. We can get on with the job without the noises off.

'And I am absolutely confident that if we can unite in the days ahead then in due course we will win again, repay the trust of the 14million who voted for us, and continue to serve the country we love.'

Rebels v loyalists: What MPs said

Jeremy Hunt: 'Anyone who believes our country is stronger, fairer & more prosperous when led by Conservatives should reflect that the consequence of not changing will be to hand the country to others who do not share those values. Today's decision is change or lose. I will be voting for change.'

John Penrose: 'The only fair conclusion to draw from the Sue Gray report is that you have breached a fundamental principle of the Ministerial Code – a clear resigning matter.'

Jesse Norman: 'You are the leader of the Conservative and Unionist party, yet you are putting the Union itself gravely at risk.'

Douglas Ross: 'Having listened closely to people in Moray who re-elected me to represent them, and from many people across Scotland, now that this confidence vote is upon us, I cannot in good faith support Boris Johnson,'

Angela Richardson: 'From the very beginning of the issues surrounding the Prime Minister's conduct during the lockdown period and his subsequent answers to parliamentary questions, I have been consistent in my views about the standards people expect of those in high office.'

Andrew Mitchell: 'He needs to look himself in the mirror and ask himself what is in the best interests of our country and of our party.'

Rishi Sunak: 'From the vaccine rollout to our response to Russian aggression, the PM has shown the strong leadership our country needs.'

Michael Gove: 'I'll be voting for Boris this evening. The PM got the big decisions right on Brexit and Covid.'

 

 

A Downing Street spokesman made clear the PM is going to fight. 'Tonight is a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the people's priorities,' the spokesman said.

'The PM welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs and will remind them that when they're united and focused on the issues that matter to voters there is no more formidable political force.'

Mr Johnson is believed to have gathered close aides and election guru Lynton Crosby in No10 last night to consider his plan of attack after being notified of the confidence vote.

They decided to send the personalised letters to all MPs, and play up the idea that he personally was the one who secured 14million votes at the 2019 election.

The confidence vote announcement came after former minister Jesse Norman - a long-term supporter of the PM - accused him of 'grotesque' behaviour over Partygate in an excoriating letter.

Mr Norman warned that any breach of the Northern Irish Protocol would be 'economically very damaging, politically foolhardy and almost certainly illegal'.

'You are the leader of the Conservative and Unionist party, yet you are putting the Union itself gravely at risk,' he told Mr Johnson.

He said the Government's Rwanda policy was 'ugly, likely to be counterproductive and of doubtful legality' and that plans to privatise Channel 4 were 'unnecessary and provocative'.

Another ex-minister, Andrew Mitchell, said he will be voting against Mr Johnson even though he had not submitted a letter.

'I very much fear if he does win tonight it will be a Pyrrhic victory,' he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.

'He needs to look himself in the mirror and ask himself what is in the best interests of our country and of our party.'

Mr Mitchell said that after a visit he made to a beacon-lighting event in his Sutton Coldfield constituency to mark the Platinum Jubilee, it was clear the public had turned against Mr Johnson.

'As I walked through the crowd it was very clear that the Prime Minister has not only lost the dressing room he has also lost quite a lot of people in the stands,' he said.

 

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Boris Johnson (pictured speaking to Ukraine's president Zelensky today) has sent a letter to MPs pleading for them to 'draw a line' under the infighting, after backbench chief Graham Brady confirmed this morning that at least 54 MPs have asked for a full ballot

 

 

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Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries launched a vicious retort at Mr Hunt after he joined the rebellion against the PM

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The premier received a limited boost from a snap poll by Opinium showing that although voters overall want Tories to oust him, Conservative supports would rather keep him on by a margin of 53 per cent to 34 per cent

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Cabinet ministers rallied round Mr Johnson after it emerged a confidence vote will be held tonight