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Johnson Urges Party To Move On After Surviving No-Confidence Vote

UK

UK PM Johnson says the government and the Conservative Party can now come together to "do our job" after a vote to oust him as Tory leader yielded a "convincing and decisive" result.

  • Johnson survived a no-confidence vote held Monday evening as 211 Tory MPs backed him, while 148 voted to remove him as party leader. The result was towards the upper end of the rebels' expectations.
  • The Prime Minister said he was "certainly not interested in snap elections," adding that "what I'm interested in is delivering for this country" as he called for unity.
  • Under the existing rules, Tory MPs cannot call another vote of no confidence for a year, although Sir Graham Brady, who oversees the process, conceded that amending the rules is "technically" possible.
  • Although Johnson managed to withstand the challenge to his leadership, the result leaves him considerably weakened and is testament to deep divisions within the Conservative Party.
  • Historical records speak against Johnson's claims of a "clear win." Previous Conservative leaders who survived no-confidence votes (Theresa May, John Major and Margaret Thatcher) were gone soon afterwards.
  • The Prime Minister will now lead his party to by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton & Honiton, where the Conservatives are expected to suffer a humiliating defeat, which may further damage Johnson's position.

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