Boris Johnson news – live: PM could face second confidence vote ‘within six months’

Boris Johnson says no-confidence vote win ‘decisive’ despite mass Tory rebellion

Boris Johnson could face a second confidence vote on his leadership within six months, a senior Tory who voted against him last night has said.

Tobias Ellwood, chair of the Commons defence committee, said heads of the powerful 1992 Committee of backbench Tory MPs are looking at changing the rules.

At present, any leader who wins a confidence vote can not be challenged for another 12 months.

When asked if the rules could be changed so that another vote could take place before then, he told Sky News. “I understand that’s what the 1922 Committee are looking at, deliberately for this reason.

“Because if we’re going to have that stay of execution, we are now going to recognise the democratic outcome and support the prime minister then let’s give the prime minister time to improve.”

He added: “But, methods can be made, the system can be adjusted to mean the current rule of allowing a prime minister an entire year would be changed.”

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PM could face second confidence vote ‘within six months’

Boris Johnson could face a second confidence vote on his leadership within six months, a senior Tory who voted against him last night has said.

Tobias Ellwood, chair of the Commons defence committee, said heads of the powerful 1992 Committee of backbench Tory MPs are looking at changing the rules.

At present, any leader who wins a confidence vote can not be challenged for another 12 months.

When asked if the rules could be changed so that another vote could take place before then, he told Sky News. “I understand that’s what the 1922 Committee are looking at, deliberately for this reason.

“Because if we’re going to have that stay of execution, we are now going to recognise the democratic outcome and support the prime minister then let’s give the prime minister time to improve.”

He added: “But, methods can be made, the system can be adjusted to mean the current rule of allowing a prime minister an entire year would be changed.”

Matt Mathers7 June 2022 11:38

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Tory MP backs PM after ‘assurances’ over funding review for constituency

A Tory MP has said he voted for Boris Johnson last night after securing a funding review for his local council.

Bob Seely, who represents the Isle of Wight, said he spoke with government “ministers” about why a funding package has “not yet been forthcoming” for his constituency.

“I have been assured they will look at this again and will do so in the very near future, ahead of the ongoing review of local government finance,” he added.

“I will keep Islanders informed”.

Matt Mathers7 June 2022 11:20

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Pound falls on Johnson’s leadership uncertainty

The pound has stumbled lower amid uncertainty over Boris Johnson’s leadership despite his victory in Monday’s confidence vote and as fears mount over the strength of the UK economy.

Sterling was lower against the US dollar and the euro as questions swirled around the Prime Minister’s position, having initially held on to gains after the vote was announced late on Monday.

The pound fell as much as 0. 7 per cent to 1.24 US dollars and half a cent to 1.17 euro at one stage on Tuesday – a sharp drop from earlier gains of nearly 1 per cent.

London’s FTSE 100 Index was also lower, edging down six points at 7602.4 in morning trading.

Matt Mathers7 June 2022 11:08

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Changing leadership rules would be a ‘bad look’, Raab says

Any attempt by critics of Boris Johnson to change the Tory Party leadership rules in the wake of last night’s vote would be a “bad look”, the deputy prime minister has said.

Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, spoke to BBC Breakfast earlier. “Fiddling with the rules when you don’t like the result” would not be a good move, he added.

Under current rules the PM is safe from another challenge for 12 months.

Matt Mathers7 June 2022 10:47

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What else did PM tell cabinet?

He opened the meeting by highlighting what his government has achieved so far in office, including the Covid recovery, economy and cost of living.

He told ministers that the government is now going to focus “exclusively” on things like “dealing with the aftershocks of Covid”, “cushion inflationary impact” and “rising energy prices”.

As he highlighted the government providing £1,200 to eight million households in the UK, Mr Johnson said: “Why are we able to do this? Because we took the right decisions during Covid and we came out of that, of the pandemic, in a very strong economic position with unemployment at the lowest level since 1974.”

“And we are going to get on with the massive agenda that we were elected to deliver in 2019

“It is a huge, huge thing that we are all part of, to really transform infrastructure, skills and technology, uniting and levelling up across the country, unleashing potential across the whole of the UK.

“It is the totally morally, socially, economically, politically the right thing to do and we should be proud, proud, proud of what we’re doing.”

Matt Mathers7 June 2022 10:35

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Northern Ireland: Fears Boris Johnson will use Brexit to rally support after confidence vote

Divisions within the Conservative Party must not dictate the UK’s approach to negotiations over the Northern Ireland protocol, the Irish foreign affairs minister has said.

Dominic McGrath has the full report:

Matt Mathers7 June 2022 10:21

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Johnson to cabinet ministers : find savings in your departments to help with cost of living

PM repeats call to cabinet ministers asking them to find savings in their departments to help with the cost of living crisis.

“We can all see ways in which we can reform and improve the way we can do things,” he says.

He says this will help ease the burden on families facing sky-high energy bills.

Matt Mathers7 June 2022 10:08

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Johnson – we can now draw a line under questions about my future

Boris Johnson thanks his cabinet for all the “good work” they did in defending him amid the confidence vote.

He claims the government is now able to “draw a line” under questions about his leadership.

He says he will now focus on how to help voters amid the cost of living crisis and other issues.

Matt Mathers7 June 2022 10:03

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PM holds cabinet meeting

Boris Johnson is holding a cabinet meeting this morning after suffering a damaging result in last night’s confidence vote against him.

He is urging his party to draw a line under questions about his future after narrowly winning the ballot by 211 to 148 votes.

Matt Mathers7 June 2022 09:53

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‘We do need to stop falling out’

A Tory MP has urged his colleagues to stop “falling out” with one another in the wake of last night’s confidence vote in Boris Johnson.

Ben Bradley, the MP for Mansfield, spoke to Sky News earlier.

He told the broadcaster his party needed to get “back to the day job”.

Matt Mathers7 June 2022 09:47

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-latest-news-no-confidence-vote-b2095380.html

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