Britain: Johnson crossed the reef of the motion of censure

The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson managed to “survive” the motion of censure that was submitted against him, on the occasion of the party scandal in Downing Street during the quarantine period, with a total of 211 deputies voting in favor of his stay in the Conservative leadership. party and 148 against.

Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 commission that organized the vote and counting, declared that “the parliamentary group has confidence” in the prime minister.

Voting was by secret ballot and was held in camera.

Despite the Conservatives’ dissatisfaction with the scandal, Boris Johnson has saved his leadership in the party and the prime minister, although he risks coming out of the process weakened.

It should be noted that 59% of MPs voted in favor of Johnson, while in a similar vote in 2018, when a motion of censure was filed against then-Prime Minister Theresa May, she gathered a percentage in favor of 63%, nevertheless resigned seven months later.

Johnson has so far ruled out any possibility of resigning. If he had lost tonight’s vote, the Conservative Party would have elected a new leader – and therefore a prime minister. After his victory, however, no other motion of censure can be filed against him for a year.

Satisfaction Johnson ruled out early elections

In his first statement after the vote, the British Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction, talking about a “good result, convincing and decisive”, while noting his gratitude for the support offered by members of the Conservative Party.

“Now we have to move forward together and leave behind an issue that has been of major concern to the media. We can now focus on what we are doing to help the people of this country,” Johnson said. “Today’s result” gives us the opportunity to continue to strengthen the economy “, he added, while when asked about the possibility of early elections, he underlined that” it is definitely something I am not interested in “.

Ahead of the vote, Johnson, speaking to the Conservative parliamentary group, promised to cut taxes if he remained in office and warned lawmakers not to turn against each other, trapping the party in a perpetual “marmot day”.

“No specific tax exemption was promised but the minister (Finance Risi Sunak) and himself will present the development plan next week and we will have the general outline of how he sees the bigger economic picture,” a source told reporters.