London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

As more MPs turn against Boris Johnson, how would a vote of no confidence work?

As more MPs turn against Boris Johnson, how would a vote of no confidence work?

With the chance of vote on the prime minister’s future growing how will a vote be triggered and what is the process?

As more Conservative MPs go public with their letters of no confidence in Boris Johnson, the chance of a vote on the prime minister’s premiership grows. This is how the process works:

How is a vote triggered?


The rules stipulate that 15% of Conservative MPs must submit a letter of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady, chair of the backbench 1922 Committee, in order for a ballot to be held.

The MPs do not have to reveal their identity, though some will choose to go public due to pressure from their constituents or in a bid to encourage others to do the same.

There are 54 MPs needed to force a vote of no confidence, and they can either deposit a letter personally to Brady’s office, ask a colleague to drop it off for him or email it directly.

The only person who knows how many letters have been submitted is Brady himself. Such is the level of mistrust among Conservative MPs, several rumours have been spread to discourage people from submitting no confidence letters.

Brady does not – as it has been claimed – need to ring every Conservative MP who has submitted a letter to check they are happy with their decision. Nor does he – as others have suggested – pass a list of those who have submitted letters to Johnson’s ministerial aides, known as parliamentary private secretaries.

There have also been rumours that government whips have previously been posted to keep watch outside Brady’s office, to spy on those going in and out.

What happens if the 54 threshold is hit?


There is a certain amount of discretion afforded to Brady, but he is expected to tell the prime minister and then organise a private confidence vote “as soon as practicable”.

Most MPs agree it is not practical to hold such a ballot during recess, which ends next Monday, and particularly not during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend.

In December 2018, Brady told Theresa May the threshold had been hit and a vote was held on her premiership the following day. The speediness of the procedure was seen as a bid to give as little time as possible to her opponents to organise against the current government.

How is the vote organised?


A ballot box is being safely stored in the office of one of the 1922’s executive members, and will be dusted off if a no confidence vote is called.

It will probably be placed in the same room that MPs gather in every week for meetings of the committee, on the first floor of the Palace of Westminster and at the centre of a long corridor, overlooking the River Thames.

Throughout the day, all Conservative MPs will be able to vote in a secret ballot. They will be forbidden from taking any pictures inside the committee room. This is meant to discourage party whips from demanding photographic evidence that an MP has voted supportively, meaning that even if they are on the government “payroll” they are able to decide freely whether to vote for or against Johnson.

That is not to say that supporters and opponents of the prime minister will not spend the day frantically lobbying and counting the pledges of each MP collared to ask how they voted.

If an MP is away from Westminster, they can nominate a colleague to vote on their behalf as a proxy.

How is the result announced?


Brady will probably do as he did in 2018, and assemble MPs and journalists in the same parliamentary committee room where voting has taken place that day. He will then declare that the parliamentary party does or does not have confidence in the prime minister, and reveal the number of votes cast in both directions.

If Johnson survives, no further confidence vote can be held by the 1922 Committee for another year.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×