LONDON aEUR,” U.K. Prime Minster Boris Johnson’s job is up in a no confidence vote Monday night local. Johnson’s supporters claim he will remain in office aEUR”, but the rebellion within Johnson’s Conservative Party is a new front in Johnson’s struggle to overcome a series of scandals to keep power.
Johnson has a very unfortunate distinction. He was recently found to be the first prime minister to have violated the law due to his flouting COVID-19 restrictions. On Friday, Johnson was booed loudly as he arrived at St Paul’s Cathedral to attend a service commemorating Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
Johnson has been viewed as both an entertainer and a cheerleader for his country. However, he is also known as someone who breaks the rules in a country where most people follow them. Johnson is known for his charm, humor and distractions. Johnson is often referred to as Britain’s Teflon politician, aEUR”, but his handling COVID may be the last straw.
A no-confidence vote in Britain’s parliament system must be called for by at least 15% of the leader of the party in the House of Commons. Members can send letters to their party’s committee. Johnson’s Tories has reached this threshold recently, which is 54 letters aEUR.”
To vote out Johnson, the Tory rebels must have support from at least 180 Conservative legislators out of 359 Under current rules, they can’t challenge Johnson again for 12 months if they fail.
Johnson’s team is telling fellow Conservatives to slow down and warning that an internal conflict will only benefit the Labour Party, which is the main opposition party. They point out ongoing crises like the war in Ukraine where the U.K. led in arming the Ukrainian Army. They urge lawmakers to address economic issues, including the increasing cost of living for Britons.
The attempt to expel former Prime Minister Theresa May during Brexit’s fallout was unsuccessful in December 2018. Johnson had started her tenure and May had resigned by the end of the following summer.
Johnson is the only candidate in the current election. If Johnson loses, his party will face new turmoil and almost certain a prolonged fight for the top job.
Johnson’s bold style is popular in the U.K. but Johnson now faces a lot public anger over the behavior of his staff and him during Britain’s COVID lockdown.
Late last month, a government report revealed that there was a culture of drinking at No. 10 Downing Street describes parties where one person vomited, red wines were splashed on walls and cleaning staff were abused. Johnson was fined $62 after breaking one of his own laws.
Many Britons were angered by the Partygate scandal. They followed the government’s rules even though they couldn’t say goodbye to their loved ones in person. According to Johns Hopkins University data, COVID-19 is responsible for almost 180,000 deaths in Britain.
The behaviour of the prime minister was a stark contrast to sacrifices made by others. Later, it was revealed that Johnson’s staff had hosted a wild party on the day of Prince Philip’s funeral. The company later apologized.
Actor Stephen Fry was a big hit at Queen Elizabeth’s recent celebration. He praised Johnson’s service for decades and gave his appreciation at a Buckingham Palace concert.
How many Prime Ministers can you tolerate? For that alone no admiration is high enough.Huge respect for Lee Mack and Stephen Fry tonight dY(tm)OE.#PlatinumPartyatthePalace #HM70 pic.twitter.com/R64rzmF5r9
“How many trees were planted, ribbons were cut and ships launched?” Fry asked before he landed his jab: “How many prime minsters were tolerated?” This alone is reason enough to admire Fry.
Johnson’s missteps have prompted a medical review by his political friends, even if he survives the no confidence vote. Some in Johnson’s Conservative Party see him as a damaged product, and fear he may not be able lead them to the next leadership election which is anticipated for 2024.
Frank Langfitt reported in London, Bill Chappell from Washington, D.C.
