(CMR) British Prime Minister Boris Johnson held onto his job Monday after surviving a vote of confidence sparked by his lawmakers amid dissatisfaction with his leadership.
Some 211 Conservative Party lawmakers voted in favor of Johnson, while 148 voted against him. Johnson needed the support of 180 MPs to win the vote, but the figure of 148 against him was worse than many expected.
Johnson's support weakened after he was found to have broken the law by attending several social gatherings during the UK's strict COVID lockdown. He'll be further weakened that so many within his party want him gone.
This vote against Johnson is said to be worse than the result of a similar vote faced by former leader Theresa May in 2018, which led to her resignation six months later.
Given the narrow margin of Johnson's win, there is now a possibility that he might face another confidence vote soon.
Usually, if a British leader wins a confidence vote, they are protected from another vote for 12 months. However, there have been reports that these rules may be changed. Johnson could also resign of his own accord, but he has shown no signs of intending to do so.
Speaking after the result, Johnson said he was “certainly not interested” in snap elections.
“I'm grateful to colleagues, and the support they've given me … What we need to do now is come together as a government and a party,” he said.
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