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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Photo: POOL / REUTERS
Things are getting serious for Boris Johnson: the British Prime Minister has to face a vote of no confidence on Monday evening.
The head of the responsible party committee, Graham Brady, announced in London that the necessary number of corresponding applications from Tory MPs had been reached.
Criticism of the Prime Minister was particularly sparked by his handling of the so-called party affair about lockdown celebrations in Downing Street government headquarters.
In a scathing investigative report, senior official Sue Gray accused Johnson of serious leadership failure.
But the 57-year-old had carried on as if nothing had happened, ignoring that he was now the first sitting prime minister to break the law after being fined for attending a party.
Johnson welcomes voting
Johnson apologized several times in the House of Commons in London.
However, he refused to resign.
The prime minister said through a Downing Street spokeswoman that he welcomed the opportunity to face the vote of his Conservative Party MPs.
The vote is a chance to "end months of speculation" and draw a line.
According to the investigation report, several parties are said to have been planned at 10 Downing Street – including agreements about who will bring the alcohol.
Excessive alcohol consumption occurred at a celebration in June 2020, the report said.
One person fell ill and two others had a heated argument.
At another party the night before Prince Philip's funeral, the celebrations continued into the morning hours.
The meetings are documented in numerous photos, and Johnson is also shown several times.
Secretary of State Truss: "Prime Minister Has My 100 Percent Support"
Secretary of State Liz Truss and Minister of Finance Rishi Sunak pledged their support in the no-confidence vote to Johnson, who has led the government since 2019.
"The Prime Minister has my 100 percent support for today's vote and I strongly encourage colleagues to support him," Truss wrote on Twitter.
She pointed out that Johnson had achieved the country's recovery from the corona pandemic and supported Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
“He apologized for the mistakes made.
We must now concentrate on economic growth.« Truss is considered a possible successor to Johnson.
Dozens of Conservative MPs have recently expressed concern that 57-year-old Johnson may have lost the authority to govern Britain.
Most recently, Jesse Norman, who was Secretary of State at the Treasury Department from 2019 to 2021, publicly demanded a vote of no confidence.
The result of the vote will probably be in the evening
Despite the serious allegations, it is not certain that Johnson will lose his position.
Because in a vote, 180 Tory MPs – at least half of the current 359 parliamentary group members – would have to speak out against the prime minister.
But about 150 of them have unpaid or paid government jobs, such as state secretaries, faction cheerleaders, or trade envoys.
If they vote against Johnson in the secret ballot, they could lose their positions themselves.
If Johnson wins the vote, party rules state that there can be no further attempt to vote him out for a year.
The result of the no-confidence vote is expected to be announced after Monday evening's vote, which will take place between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. local time.
If a majority votes against Johnson, he will lose his position as prime minister for the time being.
mel/ala/dpa/Reuters