London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

No confidence vote in Boris Johnson: What happens next?

No confidence vote in Boris Johnson: What happens next?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has won a vote of confidence in his leadership of the Conservative Party by 211 to 148.

The secret ballot was triggered after at least 54 Tory MPs wrote letters saying they no longer supported Mr Johnson.


What was the result of the confidence vote?


All 359 Conservative MPs took part in the vote.

Mr Johnson received the support of 211 Conservative MPs, with 148 voting against him.

The result means that Mr Johnson was supported by 59% of his own MPs. This is a lower than Theresa May who received the backing of 63% of Tory MPs in 2018, but ended up resigning six months later.

As the ballot was held in secret, Tory MPs won't have to say how they voted, but some will choose to do so.

Among those able to take part was a Tory MP who had been told to stay away from Parliament, after being accused of rape and sexual assault. As he was not suspended from the party, he would have been allowed a proxy vote.


What happens now Mr Johnson has won?


Having survived the vote, Mr Johnson can continue as Conservative Party leader and therefore prime minister.

Under current rules, Tory MPs will not be allowed to hold another confidence vote for a year.

However, there has been speculation some could try to change the rules, to hold another vote sooner. When asked about it, Sir Graham Brady MP - who oversees the process - said "technically, it's possible".

Despite having won the vote, Mr Johnson still faces challenges. On 23 June, by-elections to pick new MPs in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton will be held. Both seats were previously held by the Conservatives and if they were to be lost to opposition parties, Mr Johnson could find himself under renewed pressure.


What is a confidence vote and why was it held?


An attempt by Conservative MPs to remove their leader is known as a vote of confidence.

Pressure on the prime minister has grown following the publication of details of Downing Street parties which broke Covid rules.

A report, by senior civil servant Sue Gray, said many of the gatherings "should not have been allowed".

This prompted some Conservative MPs to hand in letters calling for Mr Johnson to resign.

Under the party's own rules, a confidence vote is triggered if at least 15% of Tory MPs write a letter to Sir Graham Brady - the chairman of a group called the 1922 Committee, which represents them.



Previous Tory leadership challenges


*  Theresa May: In a vote over her Brexit policy, Mrs May survived a confidence vote with a majority of 83 in December 2018. Despite winning, she resigned as PM six months later

*  Iain Duncan Smith: Following months of speculation the Tory leader narrowly lost a confidence vote in October 2003 and resigned

*  John Major: Triggered a contest in 1995 by resigning as leader of the Tory party (though not as prime minister) amid disagreements inside the party over Europe. Mr Major beat challenger John Redwood, but went on to lose the 1997 election

*  Margaret Thatcher: Resigned as PM in 1990 after failing to win outright victory for party leadership. She beat Michael Heseltine by 204 votes to 152, but was persuaded to stand down by her Cabinet

What would have happened if Mr Johnson had lost?


Had Mr Johnson lost the vote he would have been required to resign.

This would have triggered a Conservative leadership contest where the eventual winner would have become prime minister.


How would a leadership contest work?


In order to stand in a leadership contest, candidates need the support of eight other Tory MPs.

If more than two candidates stand, Tory MPs will hold a series of votes until only two remain.

*  in the first round, candidates must get 5% of the votes to stay in the running (18 MPs)

*  in the second round, they must get 10% (36 MPs)

*  in the following rounds, the candidate with the least votes is eliminated

When two MPs are left, Conservative Party members around the country - not just MPs - will vote for the winner.

If all but one of the candidates withdraw (as happened when Theresa May became leader in 2016), the remaining candidate becomes Conservative Party leader.


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
×