Defiant Boris Johnson faces Tory defections and plots to oust him

Updated 2 hours ago

source: TheJournal.ie/Youtube

Dedicated Boris Johnson chose the challenge in the face of rifts and anger among his deputies in the raucous House of Commons this afternoon.

House of Commons Speaker Lindsey Hoyle has intervened on several occasions to restore order, as MPs raged amid mounting fallout from social events in Downing Street during the lockdown.

Johnson spoke during the Prime Minister’s Questions amid reports that 54 letters that would trigger a vote of no-confidence in him from her MPs may be received today.

Reports last night suggested that MPs, angered by the prime minister’s handling of the party-gate scandal that has gripped Westminster, were further fueled by Johnson’s insistence that no one told him a Downing Street party would break his own rules.

Conservative MPs in traditional Labor districts, or the so-called Red Wall seats, were said to be particularly angry at Johnson’s banishment, many of whom were elected in 2019 with a slim majority.

One of them, MP Christian Wakeford of Bury South, called yesterday for Johnson to leave but confirmed today that he has left Johnson’s Conservative Party entirely to join the Labor seats.

Labor leader Keir Starmer today welcomed Buckford into the fold, telling the House of Commons:

Like many people across the country, he has concluded that the Conservative Prime Minister has shown itself unable to provide the leadership and government this country deserves while Labor stands ready to provide an alternative government.

A defiant Johnson said his party won the seat in Perry «for the first time in generations» and «we will win again».

Johnson’s first question during the PMQ meetings was from Liberal Democrat Wendy Chamberlain who said there was «no excuse» for Johnson to be exiled and that it was time for him to resign.

In response, Johnson said his administration had «wrong verdicts» but Chamberlain must «contain her impatience» and await the results of an investigation by the former civil servant Sue Gray.

Starmer attacked Johnson for his «frankly unbelievable silly defenses» and accused his government of disintegration.

Amid shouts from Tory MPs, Starmer joked that the party chair had told them to «bring their own booze», referring to an invitation to a Downing Street garden event sent by Johnson’s secretary Martin Reynolds to more than 100 employees.

Johnson tried to change his point of defense by accusing Starmer of trying to slow the UK’s reopening from restrictions.

«If we had listened to the front bench of Labor in the run-up to Christmas and New Year’s, we would have remained constrained by the massive damage done to the economy. Because of the government decisions that we’ve taken, that we’ve taken, we now have the fastest growing economy in the G7,» he said.

Johnson also confirmed that ‘Plan B’ measures aimed at tackling the spread of Covid-19 across England would be abandoned.

Johnson said people will no longer be required to work from home, and from Thursday next week when Plan B measures expire, mandatory Covid permits will expire.

It will also allow the legal requirement for people with coronavirus to self-isolate when the regulations expire on March 24 and this date can be brought forward.

source: TheJournal.ie/Youtube

The decision to cancel the measures did not satisfy former Conservative MP David Davis, who called on the prime minister to resign.

Davis told Johnson he had spent weeks defending him against «angry voters», including by reminding them of «Brexit’s successes».

He said, «I expect my leaders to be held accountable for the actions they take. Yesterday he did the opposite. So, I will remind him of a quote that may be familiar to his ear: Leopold Emery by Neville Chamberlain.»

“I have sat here for too long for whatever good work you have been doing. In the name of God go.”

expulsion

A number of newspapers have reported a coordinated plot among Tory MPs to oust Johnson.

Deputies from the former so-called Red Wall were said to have met yesterday to discuss Johnson’s future at a rally dubbed the «pork pie plot» or «ham coup», and one told the Daily Telegraph that 15% of the messages are needed as the trigger can be reached today’s challenge.

Johnson, who is said to have spent yesterday evening in his Commons office meeting with potential rebels, has apologized several times in a major radio interview for the «wrong verdicts made».

But he stuck to his defense that he believed the «Bring Your Wine» party at Park 10 on May 20, 2020 was a practical event and had not been forewarned about it.

Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s former top aide, cast doubt on that on Monday, saying he had «sworn under oath» Johnson was told about the party.

But when asked if he had lied to Parliament about parties while visiting a North London hospital, the prime minister told broadcasters: «No. I want to begin by repeating my apologies to everyone for the wrong judgments I have made, which we may have done in No. 10 and beyond, whether In Downing Street or during a pandemic.

Nobody told me that what we were doing was against the rules, that the event in question was something…it wasn’t a work event, and as I said in the House of Commons when I went out to that park, I thought I was going to attend a work event.

Johnson said he «couldn’t imagine why he would move forward on Earth, or why he would be allowed to move forward» if he was told it was nothing but a «business event».

«I humbly apologize to people for the wrong judgments that were passed but this is the best I can remember of this event,» he said.

Johnson confirmed that he had provided evidence of an investigation into Whitehall parties during the lockdown restrictions imposed by senior official Sue Gray.

The Palestinian News Agency understands that Cummings also agreed to speak to the civil servant, who was described as «fantastic.»

Chancellor Rishi Sunak refused to give the prime minister his unequivocal support yesterday, as Johnson made his first public appearance after reducing his contacts last week, when No10 said a family member had tested positive for Covid-19.

But Culture Minister Nadine Dorries came out to lash out at the prime minister, telling The Times that maneuvers against him were «a traitor to the prime minister, the party, their voters and the wider nation».

Johnson insisted that he only saw the «bring your own booze» invite his chief private secretary Martin Reynolds sent to more than 100 employees «the other day…when she showed up».

first pages

The front pages of almost all British newspapers today have focused on the fallout from reports of Johnson’s lockdown parties.

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The Guardian reports Tory MPs plotting against their leader, with the paper saying anger has further fueled last night’s ‘disastrous’ TV interview in which the prime minister claimed he did not lie about the Downing Street parties.

The Guardian front page, Wednesday 19 January 2022: The clamor to oust Johnson grows as Conservative MPs plot a vote of confidence. pic.twitter.com/cS5irvwS6W

– Guardian News (@guardiannews) January 18 2022

Daily Telegraph He writes that Johnson is on the cusp of removing Plan B restrictions as allegations emerge that Tory MPs elected in 2019 are plotting a rebellion against the prime minister.

Front page of tomorrow’s Daily Telegraph:

‘Plan B is scrapped as PM faces conspiracy from rebel MPs’#tomorrowsappersday

Subscribe to the newsletter on the front pagehttps://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/ryx5t30wEh

– Telegraph January 18 2022

Wednesday Tweet embed #MailFrontPages pic.twitter.com/3f0A7DpB11

– Daily Mail UK (DailyMailUK) January 18 2022

Question

The British prime minister declined to say whether he would resign if it was proven that he deliberately misled Parliament, instead asking Gray to be patient before Gray issues her ruling on the party’s inquiry, which is not expected until the end of this week at the earliest.

He looked sad when faced with questions about two events at Number 10 last April on the eve of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral, in which the Queen sat alone while she mourned.

The Prime Minister breathed loudly behind his mask as he said, “I am deeply and bitterly sorry that this happened.

«I can only renew my apologies to both Her Majesty and the state for the wrong judgments that have been made, for which I take full responsibility.»

Among those Tory MPs who have abstained from ruling for the time being, many agreed that if Johnson was found to have misled Parliament, he would have to resign.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab agreed that Johnson would «naturally» be expected to resign if he intentionally misled Parliament, while Central Derbyshire MP Pauline Latham told Radio Times: «If he lied to Parliament, there would be no other choice».

She said, «At the end of the day, making the rules, he was in that briefing room looking at the cameras and saying that’s what you have to do. So you can’t say you don’t know what the rules are. We all know what the rules are.»

Labor deputy leader Angela Rayner said Johnson «needs to go».

«I think he’s trying to think of the British public as fools. He’s not sorry that he obviously attended a party, he knows it’s against the rules; he’s sorry he was arrested for that,» she told the Palestinian News Agency.

«I think people are incredibly frustrated.»

But, she added, «He won’t, of course, and now it’s up to his deputies to do the right thing.»

With Ronan Duffy’s report