The events of the Platinum Jubilee may have provided a distraction from the political turmoil enveloping the U.K., but this morning’s news of a no-confidence vote against British Prime Minister Boris Johnson brought ongoing governmental issues back into laser-sharp focus.
Today, Johnson faced the biggest crisis yet in his tumultuous tenure as the nation’s leader, after a series of controversies prompted enough ministers from his own Conservative party to turn on him that a no-confidence vote was triggered. Tonight, the outcome was decided through a secret ballot, which saw Johnson win by 211 votes to 148 votes, keeping him in power.
Yet with 40 percent of the Conservative MPs voting haven cast their ballots for Johnson to step down, it could spell further trouble for his scandal-ridden party—as well as Johnson’s own political future.
Here, find everything you need to know about the vote, from the controversies that led up to it, to what it means for Johnson’s party.
Just what is a no-confidence vote, exactly?
In the U.K., votes of no confidence are an important part of the constitution—allowing for the removal of a prime minister deemed unfit to serve—even if they are rarely successful: The last ousting took place in 1979 against Labour leader James Callaghan, paving the way for the arrival of Margaret Thatcher. (The most recent vote, meanwhile, was held in 2018 following Theresa May’s announcement of her Brexit policy, although May was able to secure the support of two-thirds of her party and remain in power.)
The motion can generally be proposed by members of either party against their own party or the opposition, but within the Conservative party, it requires at least 15% of one party’s MPs to submit a letter of no confidence in order to trigger a ballot. The leader requires a simple majority of 50% plus one extra vote to survive; afterward, a similar vote can’t take place for at least another year. If the leader loses, their replacement is decided in a leadership contest that can take a number of months.
Why did Johnson’s party turn on him?
Johnson has long been a divisive figure within the British political landscape thanks to his highly privileged upbringing, proneness to making offensive gaffes, perceived incompetency as a leader, and dubious moral character. Between getting fired from a leading newspaper for making up quotes, numerous marital infidelities, and his willingness to skirt or obfuscate the truth when confronted with inconvenient facts, the election of Johnson to the leader of the Conservatives proved controversial—even among those within his party. His defenders, meanwhile, maintain that Johnson’s humor and bon vivant spirit makes him attractive to voters outside of the traditional demographics of the Conservative party.
A turning point in Johnson’s ambitions came after he threw his weight behind the Vote Leave campaign as Mayor of London in 2016, during the run-up to the Brexit vote later that year. Buoyed by those who supported the U.K. leaving the European Union, he stood in the party leadership election following former Prime Minister Theresa May’s resignation, and won with 66% of the vote. Since then, his tenure as prime minister has been marred by a seemingly endless stream of scandals, from reneging on a deal with the European Union over the so-called Irish backstop, to a brutal cabinet reshuffle that replaced more competent ministers within his circle with those perceived to be simply Johnson loyalists.
The course of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, has proven an especially turbulent period for Johnson. First, there was his widely derided decision to hold off on the first lockdown until the very last moment, resulting in a disproportionately high death toll in the U.K. compared to European countries that had enacted restrictions sooner. The acrimonious resignation of his former close advisor Dominic Cummings led to the airing of more of Johnson’s dirty laundry, with Cummings leaking that an expensive refurbishment of Johnson’s Downing Street apartment led by his new wife, Carrie, had been funded by Conservative donors rather than by Johnson himself.
But the controversy that has troubled Johnson most relates to the numerous social gatherings that took place at Downing Street during some of the periods of the nation’s strictest lockdowns—a scandal known as “Partygate.” (Considered illegal, similar gatherings by private citizens at the time had been subject to whopping fines; the fact that leaks from the events included lurid details about Abba karaoke sing-alongs and suitcases filled with booze being wheeled into the office only added grist to the tabloid mill.)
With the humiliation suffered by the party as a result, there were growing calls for Johnson to be ousted—culminating with the news early this morning that 54 Conservative members of parliament had submitted letters of no-confidence in Johnson—crossing the threshold required to trigger a vote.
How did today’s vote work?
Tonight, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. B.S.T. (1 p.m. to 3 p.m. E.T.), a ballot took place in a committee room at the Palace of Westminster, the building that also plays host to the U.K.’s Houses of Parliament. (Conservative lawmakers unable to attend the vote were able to have a colleague cast their ballot by proxy.) The results were announced shortly afterward.
That the vote took place so soon after the initial motion was triggered this morning was believed to be a tactic on Johnson’s part to ensure that the various coalitions seeking his departure from office were unable to rally together and gather further support. As a result, today saw a number of prominent Conservative voices release statements and public letters indicating their stance in an effort to sway colleagues either way, with lobbying continuing all the way up until the very last MP placed their vote.
How did Johnson manage to survive?
Many have noted that historical precedence suggested that Johnson was likely to weather the storm of today’s events, but a vote of no confidence can still serve as a significant stepping stone in a leader’s eventual demise. A commonly cited example is May, who despite earning two thirds of her party’s support, stepped down from her role just a year later in part due to the additional pressure heaped on her by the vote.
And while a win for Johnson officially prohibits another vote for 12 months, the notoriously ruthless Conservative party could possibly change those rules (a process which would be relatively simple) over his head. Either way, this marks a pivotal moment in Johnson’s time as prime minister—and could spell the beginning of the end.
