Boris Johnson may have survived the vote of confidence called by his backbenchers on June 6, but his problems are far from over. The ballot revealed that two in five of his parliamentary colleagues voted against him, and though Conservative Party rules currently do not allow for another challenge within 12 months, there has been talk of amending this procedure. After the vote, Mr. Johnson spoke of ‘rebooting’ his premiership. But the disillusionment of the electorate, and the anger of his own party, including those backbenchers whose votes he needs to pass any legislation, still remain.
Self-created problems
Mr. Johnson’s problems are almost entirely of his own making. He has been investigated for — and found guilty of — having broken the strict COVID-19 regulations he shepherded through. There is disgust that while ordinary people locked themselves away, Downing Street seemed awash in a series of alcohol-fuelled parties. Mr. Johnson was pictured at several, but clever legal responses to a police questionnaire on these gatherings meant that he was fined for only one — a celebration of his birthday, for which his Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, was also fined. The Metropolitan Police issued 126 fines to 83 people for 12 lockdown violations at No. 10 — including gatherings that Mr. Johnson attended. Rallying support before the confidence vote, Mr. Johnson replied to a backbencher’s query on the parties with ‘I’d do it again’. Bravado or hubris? It is difficult to tell, but what is clear is that for Boris Johnson, rules apply to the little people.
