The majority of Johnson can still count on the trust of his party colleagues. According to Graham Brady, chairman of the influential party committee in 1922, 148 MPs voted no confidence in Johnson. 211, on the other hand, supported the prime minister with their anonymous vote. None of the voters abstained from voting.
Had the vote turned out differently, Johnson would have had to resign. For the British Conservatives, the office of prime minister is linked to that of party leader. In theory, Johnson can breathe easy now. For 12 months there must be no new vote of no confidence. But Theresa May received the support of 63 percent of MPs in a vote of no confidence in 2018 and was replaced a few months later.
Johnson still saw the result of the vote as support for moving on to the agenda. “I think this is a compelling result, a crucial result, and it means that as a government we can move on and focus on the things that I think are really important to the people,” he told reporters. He has no interest in early elections.
