If Boris Johnson loses, there will be a leadership contest. (file)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face to face vote of confidence on monday After more than 15 percent of elected Conservative MPs withdrew their support for the British leader “Partygate” scandal,
Johnson, who helped the Conservatives win an overwhelming majority in the 2019 election, apologized but said he would not resign following an official report that his Downing Street office was held by illegal parties during the COVID-19 lockdown. The description of the series was given.
Below is an explanation of how the challenge to Johnson’s leadership would work under the rules of the governing Conservative Party:
What triggered the leadership challenge?
The leadership challenge begins when 15 percent of members of parliament (MPs) write a letter demanding a vote of confidence to the chairman of the party’s “1922 committee”, which represents party MPs who do not have government jobs.
The Conservatives have 359 MPs, so 54 letters were needed.
In a statement on Monday, 1922 President Graham Brady said the limit had been exceeded and a vote of confidence was scheduled for Monday from 6 pm to 8 pm (1700–1900 GMT).
What will happen during the trust vote?
All 359 Conservative MPs can vote, so if Johnson gets 180 votes, he will have the majority he needs to survive.
There is little formal indication of the extent of the rebellion against Johnson. Not all of those who submitted the letter did so publicly, while about two dozen called him to leave or criticized him without confirming that he had sent a letter.
Senior members of Johnson’s cabinet have expressed their support for him. The Institute for Government estimates that around 160–170 lawmakers have held government roles in some capacity, and are generally expected to resign if they wish to oppose the government on a critical issue. While some have already left the government on “Partygate”, trust votes are run by Conservative MPs and the ballot is secret.
If Johnson wins, he remains in office and cannot be challenged again for 12 months. If he loses, he must resign and is barred from standing in the leadership election that follows.
What if Johnson wins the confidence vote?
Although Johnson would theoretically be safe at his job for a year, that rule could be changed.
Asked if that deadline could be shortened, Brady said, “Technically, it is possible to change the rules, but currently the rule is that there will be a grace period.”
Even if Johnson is secured with a new vote of confidence, a significant rebellion could destabilize his leadership.
Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May won a vote of confidence in her leadership by 200 votes to 117 in December 2018 but continued pressure to step down after Britain failed to leave the European Union in time, and she held less than six announced his resignation in time. months later.
What if Johnson loses?
If Johnson loses, there will be a leadership contest and he will be replaced by prime minister.
If several candidates come forward, a secret ballot is held among Conservative MPs to narrow the fray. The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and the Conservative MPs have another ballot. The process is repeated until there are no two candidates left, with votes usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays separated by several days.
The final two candidates are then put into a postal ballot of wider Conservative Party membership, with the winner being named the new leader. Voters need to be a member of the party for more than three months.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)