LONDON – A no-confidence vote in Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be held later Monday that could oust him as the country’s leader.
The vote, which will take place in person in the House of Commons beginning at 6 pm local time (1 pm Eastern Time), was called by rebel lawmakers from Johnson’s ruling Conservative Party.
If Johnson loses the vote among the 359 Conservative lawmakers, he will be replaced as Conservative leader and prime minister by someone else from his party. If he wins, he can’t face another challenge for a year. Britain elects a party, not a leader.
The ballot was triggered in part by Conservative lawmakers concerned over a collapse in Johnson’s poll ratings following revelations of parties in Downing Street and other government buildings during coronavirus lockdowns.
He needs a straightforward majority – 180 – to survive the vote. If Johnson loses the vote he must stand down. His predecessor, Theresa May, survived a no-confidence vote in 2018 but she resigned six months later.
Late last month an investigator’s report on what has become known as “partygate” slammed a culture of alcohol-fueled parties and rule-breaking inside Johnson’s No. 10 Downing St. office at a time when pandemic restrictions prevented U.K. residents from socializing or even visiting dying relatives.
Johnson has said he takes “full responsibility” but also insisted it was now time to “move on” and focus on Britain’s battered economy and the war in…
