BORIS Johnson has been branded a “dead man walking” after enduring a bruising vote of no confidence.
The Prime Minister survived the ballot of Tory MPs on Monday night, though 41% of Conservatives voted against the party leader.
As it stands, Johnson cannot face another vote for a year. However, backbench MPs are currently plotting changes to the rules which could allow Tory parliamentarians to vote again in six months.
Meanwhile, Ian Blackford said the Tory leader will be ousted one or another before long.
He said: “Whether he goes today or whether it’s some months down the line this is a dead man walking, this is a man that will pay a price for his behaviour.
“He doesn’t recognise he needs to go but, in the end, he will be removed from office whether it’s by Tory MPs finally acting in a responsible manner or indeed the Privileges Committee taking action against him, he will be gone.”
The SNP Westminster leader said that, now the confidence vote has taken place, the Privileges Committee removing Johnson was “the more likely route”, and added “so let’s see the committee complete its work.”
He added: “A Prime Minister that signalled yesterday that he would do everything that he’d done all over again, he would have attended these parties, failing to recognise that these parties were against the law, it’s that signal that the rules don’t apply to him the way that they do for everyone else.
“Rules are for little people, but not the Prime Minister. That’s not the behaviour of someone who can remain in office, its someone that quite simply needs to be removed from office.”
It comes as the leaders of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs consider changing the rules around no-confidence votes so Johnson could face two ballots in one year.
Asked on Sky News if the rules could be altered to allow for a second vote in six months, rebel Tory MP Tobias Ellwood said: "I understand that's what the 1922 Committee are looking at, deliberately for this reason. Because if we're going to have that stay of execution, we are now going to recognise the democratic outcome and support the prime minister then let's give the Prime Minister time to improve.
"But, methods can be made, the system can be adjusted to mean the current rule of allowing a prime minister an entire year would be changed."
Ellwood explained he would "support it being introduced" but added he respects the result of the vote as it stands.
"It's up to Number 10 and the prime minister to act on his word that he's going to change things around and show that we have a chance of winning the general election," the MP told Sky News.
Tory MP @Tobias_Ellwood says he would support a change to Tory party rules that would allow another confidence vote within a year - but for the moment he supports the "democratic outcome". #KayBurley: https://t.co/cLIrKK2gH1 📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/fvRGSuXuCm
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 7, 2022
The vote of no confidence was carried out in secret, though around three in four backbenchers are believed to have sided against Johnson.
Tory MP and Johnson ally Ben Bradley also told Sky News that it was "inevitable" some Cabinet members and ministers voted against the Prime Minister.
Blackford said he was “genuinely surprised” by the number of Conservative MPs who voted against their leader, calling it a “moral defeat” for Johnson.
He continued: “I think it was actually genuine surprise when we saw that as many as 140 Tory MPs voted against the Prime Minister, and when you’re an MP of any political party to vote against your leader is a big thing.
“When you see that two-thirds of Tory backbenchers have done just that, it really does demonstrate how much trouble the Prime Minister is in.
“He can try and argue, as he has done, that he’s won the vote, but this is a moral defeat for the Prime Minister.
“You’ve got the situation that all the opposition parties and now 140 Tory MPs want this Prime Minister gone, he’s not going to be able to run away from this.”
The SNP MP also said his party would relish a snap General Election amid suggestions Johnson would trigger one following the vote.
He told BBC Good Morning Scotland: “We have a mandate to have an independence referendum. But if we end up that a snap election is called, as far as I’m concerned, bring it on because it's that opportunity to reinforce that people in Scotland want no more of what is happening here in Westminster and an opportunity for the SNP to put our case to the people of Scotland one more time – and to have that discussion, in an election scenario on Scotland's future.”
The Prime Minister insisted he had secured a “decisive” victory despite 148 of his own MPs voting to oust him, arguing the Government could now “move on” and focus on what “really matters to people”.
He also poured cold water on the prospect of a snap election, saying he was “certainly not interested” in the idea.
