London, June 6 (AFP/APP):British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced down a no-confidence vote among Conservative MPs on Monday, after dozens rebelled over a string of alleged scandals that have left the party’s public standing in tatters.
The British PM has spent months battling to maintain his grip on power after the “Partygate” controversy.
If he loses, he must step down as Conservative leader, but can stay on as prime minister pending a party leadership election in the coming weeks.
A long line of Tory MPs snaked down the corridor to a parliamentary committee room as voting began at 1700 GMT. The result is due to be announced at 2000 GMT.
Johnson earlier defended his record on delivering Brexit, fighting the Covid pandemic and Britain’s hawkish support for Ukraine against Russia.
“This is not the moment for a leisurely and entirely unforced domestic political drama and months and months of vacillation from the UK,” he told Tory MPs, according to a senior party source.
Supporters could be heard cheering and thumping their tables in approval.
The source said Johnson had indicated tax cuts could be in the offing as Britain contends with its worst inflation crisis in generations.
“We have been through bumpy times before and I can rebuild trust,” the prime minister told his parliamentary rank and file, according to the source, adding: “The best is yet to come.”
Ex-cabinet member Jeremy Hunt, who lost to Johnson in the last leadership contest in 2019 and is expected to run again if he is deposed, confirmed he would vote against him.
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