London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Johnson prepares fightback as allies admit confidence vote now likely

Johnson prepares fightback as allies admit confidence vote now likely

PM will launch last-ditch attempt this week to win over critics in Tory ranks with health and housing policy announcements

Boris Johnson’s allies will switch their focus to winning a vote of no confidence, after conceding that they now have little chance of stopping one being triggered.

The prime minister will this week launch a health and housing policy fightback in a last-ditch attempt to win over his critics. He is widely expected to face a vote on his leadership as soon as this week, with some MPs predicting that the threshold of 54 letters asking for one has already been exceeded.

In a remarkable shift in tone, the business minister Paul Scully acknowledged on Sunday night that a vote of no confidence “might well happen”, but insisted Johnson would “face it down”. “Whatever happens, we’ve got to get back to governing, to tackle the things that people want us to do on a day-to-day basis.”

Hours earlier, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, had said he did not think there would be a vote this week.

A No 10 source said Johnson would demonstrate over the coming days that he was “getting on with the job” and acknowledged it was also aimed at showing his determination not to be fatally weakened by a confidence vote, which the prime minister expects to win narrowly.

The source said there was no prospect of Johnson offering his resignation if he won by only a small margin, or of offering to go before the next election, as Theresa May did.

Johnson will not shy away from the potential humiliation of the two upcoming byelections, aides said, and is planning visits to Wakefield and Tiverton, both of which the Tories are widely expected to lose to Labour and the Liberal Democrats respectively.

Some newer MPs are said to be nervous of acting too soon and are considering pushing to delay a confidence vote until after 23 June, when the byelections are due to be held, to give the best chance of ousting Johnson and allow potential leadership candidates more time to prepare.

Amid accusations from some of Johnson’s supporters of No 10 complacency, the prime minister will focus this week on the NHS backlog, heralding the progress the government is making to tackle waiting lists, in a nod to the use of cash raised by tax increases that are unpopular in sections of the party.

Johnson will announce on Monday that one million checks and tests have been carried out since the rollout of new community diagnostics centres, freeing up hospital capacity.

He explicitly linked it to the national insurance rise dubbed the health and social care levy, much criticised by Tory MPs, and said the funding would mean the NHS could “tackle the Covid backlogs, reduce waiting lists and save lives”.

Later in “health week”, a major review of NHS management by the former vice-chief of the defence staff Gen Sir Gordon Messenger will propose an overhaul of NHS leadership structures to helping failing trusts emulate those that are performing best.

Sajid Javid, the health secretary, has pledged that the review will be the most far-reaching of leadership in the NHS for 40 years and will “level up” regional disparities in care.

This week Johnson is also expected to announce an extension of the right to buy to millions of people who rent from housing associations, as well as the extension of other home ownership schemes. There are also tentative plans to formally table the controversial legislation to override parts of the Northern Ireland protocol.

Polling over the weekend showed the Conservatives on course for a humiliating defeat in Wakefield. Several MPs from the 2019 general election intake have told colleagues they will not submit a letter until after that result. “The red wall MPs who are wavering are looking only at Wakefield,” one MP said. “Only then will the penny drop that he is not actually popular at all.”

When a confidence vote comes, Johnson’s allies say it will be crucial for him to show he has the support of the majority of backbenchers.

“Theresa May lost the backbenchers,” one MP said. “The prime minister has always got to get the payroll votes [those holding government posts] on side. But what he needs to do is get half the back benches at least, because then that gives a strong signal.”

One former minister, a supporter of Johnson, said that even among those who back him he will need to win back trust and show he can win the next election with a big agenda.

“He will survive, but obviously that will weaken him. If he soldiers on, then he’s got an awful lot of work to do to make good [the] damage that has been sustained. Knowing Boris, he might well be able to find his way.”

But rebel MPs have circulated a private briefing document setting out a stark electoral picture about Johnson’s prospects. It says the booing of Johnson at the Jubilee “tells us nothing the data does not” and that no social group polled says they trust the prime minister.


Another point says the “entire purpose of the government now appears to be the sustenance of Boris Johnson as prime minister” - pointing to his personal negative ratings and saying that “defending the indefensible” is not to protect the party but one man.

One minister said the residual loyalty to Johnson was now very thin even among his supporters. “Of course, stuff is going to catch up with him. He’s toast. Everyone is tired of the drama. The only question is whether he manages to get through the election and to be able to get a bit longer in No 10 before we get rid of him. We won’t stand this shit for ever.”

Just 18 MPs have publicly declared that they have sent a letter, but MPs who are running the numbers believe there are at least 70 who have now publicly expressed a lack of faith in the prime minister.

Most MPs seem resigned that the dam will break, but the timing is virtually impossible to guess given the lack of coordinated effort. “It’s all about individual MPs. There’s not even any WhatsApp groups as far as I know,” said one MP who opposes Johnson.

Most MPs are prepared to bet that a challenge is imminent. “I’d say we were already there, and when Graham Brady [the chair of the backbench 1922 Committee, who receives the letters] gets back to his office on Monday, there will be a load more,” the MP said. “I’d expect the vote on Wednesday.”

The vote is a secret, in-person ballot held in parliament. To survive in office, a Tory leader requires the backing of a minimum of half of his MPs plus one, meaning Johnson would need the support of at least 180 of his parliamentary party.

“Getting to 180 is a big ask, but it’s a secret ballot,” one MP said. “I think a third of the payroll could go against him. If it’s a third of them, and two-thirds of backbenchers, suddenly you’re in business.

“There will be a coordinated ring-round by No 10, but I think that if we get to 180 or not, the number voting against will be a lot higher than the PM might think.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests Challenge Trump's Leadership
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
Germany Holds First Veterans Celebration Since WWII
U.S. Health Secretary Dismisses CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee
Minnesota Lawmaker Melissa Hortman and Husband Killed in Targeted Attack; Senator John Hoffman and Wife Injured
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
×