Humiliated Boris Johnson clung on as Prime Minister tonight after he survived a historic no-confidence vote by his own MPs.
The Tory leader won the ballot by 211 votes to 148 after months of allegations that he lied over parties in Downing Street.
But he was left humiliated with a cloud over his future after 41% of his own MPs voted to topple him - just 906 days after his 2019 election landslide.
The extraordinary result is worse than the 117 MPs who tried to oust Theresa May over Brexit - and a body blow to Mr Johnson's authority.
Ms May won 63% of the vote in her own no confidence ballot in December 2018 - but she had to resign just five months later.
Technically the Tory leader cannot be challenged again for a year. But Tory MPs including Jeremy Hunt warned today Mr Johnson will lead them to defeat in the next general election.
And his survival will plunge the party into further disarray if the Tories lose the crunch Wakefield or Tiverton by-elections on June 23.
Chaos could worsen when the Commons Privileges Committee finally produces a report on whether he lied over Partygate - which is only expected in October or November.
The backbench 1922 Committee of Tory MPs could choose to scrap or shorten the one-year grace period in future.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi immediately insisted that Mr Johnson had won "handsomely". "I hope we can draw a line under this now and focus on delivery," he told Sky News.
Foreign Office Minister James Cleverly claimed it “was a clear win” and doubted there is “any other candidate who thinks they’re going to get 60% of the Parliamentary party rallying round them”.
He added: “He had a mandate from the wider party as leader, he had a telling mandate from the country in the general election, he’s now just got the third mandate from the parliamentary party and everyone should respect that and get on with it.”
Speaking after the result Boris Johnson said: "I think it's an extremely good, positive, conclusive, decisive result that allows us to move on."
He added: ”I’m certainly not interested in snap elections”, though he failed completely to rule one out.
But Tory MP who voted against Boris Johnson emerged from the room with a face like thunder, saying: "That was a substantial vote against the Prime Minister - considerably more than Theresa May had against her. It's up to him to decide what to do next."
Tory MP Julian Sturdy tweeted: "The scale of the vote against the Prime Minister this evening is clear evidence that he no longer enjoys the full-hearted confidence of the parliamentary party and should consider his position."
And Tory Sir Roger Gale said he doubted the PM would still be in his post in the Autumn.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the public were fed up with a PM, who was "unfit for the great office he holds".
In a day of high drama at Westminster, the long-awaited vote was confirmed just after 8am - and a string of prominent MPs deserted Boris Johnson with blistering attacks.
Senior MP Jesse Norman called for him to go not just because of Partygate, but due to “culture war” policies he claimed were illegal.
And Jeremy Hunt - Boris Johnson ’s rival in 2019 - finally came off the fence and said he'd vote no confidence, adding: "We are not offering the integrity, competence and vision necessary.”
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross performed another U-turn on his stance and returned to saying the Prime Minister should go.
And his support in Scotland ebbed away as former Scottish Secretary David Mundell tweeted: “After a difficult couple of years and listening to the views of my constituents, I voted tonight for a fresh start and new leadership for our country.”
MP of 25 years Sir Robert Syms tweeted he would vote no confidence in the PM, while minister Penny Mordaunt - often touted as a leadership contender - carefully avoided saying how she would vote. Even Dehenna Davison, a key 'Red Wall' Tory, voted no confidence in the PM.
The carefully-choreographed vote was called after plotters took a break for the Jubilee weekend, with some post-dating their letters of no confidence to 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady.
Sir Graham phoned Boris Johnson on Sunday afternoon, just before the Tory leader set off for a lengthy Jubilee pageant.
In farcical scenes, the embattled PM had no time to tell his aides and was left to ruminate on his future from the stands for a few hours before returning to No10.
On the dot of 4pm today he trooped into a sleek room in Parliament’s Portcullis House to make his final pitch to MPs to back him.
But the PM boasted "I'd do it again" when confronted over Partygate leaving drinks at the showdown - and later left Parliament to boos from protesters without staying to hear the result in person.
He went on the defensive when confronted by outspoken critic Mark Harper, who asked why MPs should continue to defend the indefensible” and demanded to know why the PM had tried to water down the ministerial code.
A source said the PM "pulled a face and looked hurt" at the line of questioning. But asked about his attendance at lockdown leaving drinks described in Sue Gray's scathing report, Mr Johnson told MPs: "I'd do it again."
A Tory source insisted the PM meant he would thank staff again for their hard work - an excuse Mr Johnson used for attending lawbreaking leaving dos after Sue Gray's report.
The partying PM was only fined for one event - his lockdown birthday bash in June 2020 - but he attended several farewell gatherings where other attendees were fined.
Outside the meeting, a senior Conservative source brushed off the scandal by declaring: "Is there anyone here who has never got pissed in their lives?”
The key ally of the PM added: "Is there anyone who doesn't like a glass of wine to decompress?"
And the Prime Minister appealed to Tory MPs to keep him power instead of indulging in "pointless fratricide”.
In a 27-minute session he dangled the vague prospect of tax cuts and suggested he would stay on even if he wins by one vote.
Boris Johnson had to retain the support of 180 MPs to stay in Downing Street or he would be ousted with a full leadership contest.
He arrived smiling to vote for himself just after 7pm, flanked by allies Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, and Chief of Staff Steve Barclay.
By contrast Theresa May - who he helped topple by quitting over her Brexit deal - arrived to vote in a full-length evening gown.
Fellow MPs gasped as the ex-PM joined the queue wearing a navy blue velvet and lace dress with glitter accents, and shiny silver shoes.
MPs had their phones confiscated at the door of wood-panelled Committee Room 10 to ensure they didn’t take pictures of ballot papers.
1922 Committee Chairman Sir Graham Brady said he would run a “tight ship” inside the room after rules were breached last time.
Using a one-way system, MPs queued up to collect their ballot papers before moving to a shielded booth at the back of the room to vote.
There was no process for what would have happened if there was a tie. A Conservative source admitted: “That would be really unfortunate. We would cross that bridge when we came to it.”
There was also no specific arrangement for what to do if a recount was requested. Ballot papers were likely to be shredded afterwards.
1922 Committee chairman Graham Brady was due to cast a vote like other MPs.
No confidence letters arrived via paper, e-mail and WhatsApp, but he kept them in hard copies, somewhere like a safe.
Electronic votes were strictly forbidden, but absent MPs were able to use a proxy vote - including one MP who was accused of rape.
More than 100 MPs gathered to hear the result read out by Sir Graham and the other members of the 1922 Committee at 9pm, showing Mr Johnson had survived - but his problems aren't over.
