The British Conservative Party will vote Monday on a no-confidence measure aimed at ousting Prime Minister Boris Johnson as party leader, potentially forcing him from office.
Despite his party winning a large majority in the 2019 UK general election, Johnson has come under fire within his own party in recent months, in part due to a string of scandals.
Johnson faced criticism following revelations that he and his staff held alcohol-fueled parties during COVID lockdowns in 2020, and violating COVID restrictions against mass gatherings in 2021.
Dozens of Conservative MPs have already vowed to back the measure, though it is unclear how widespread support for Johnson’s removal is.
Graham Brady, a Conservative MP, announced Monday that the no-confidence measure had passed the 15% threshold of Conservative support required to move forward. At least 54 Conservative MPs have sent letters backing Johnson’s removal from office.
The Prime Minister’s office responded with optimism, welcoming the vote as “a chance to end months of speculation and allow the government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the people’s priorities.”
MP Jeremy Hunt, a former Health Secretary who faced off against Johnson for control of the party in 2019, declared his support for the no-confidence vote Monday.
“We are no longer trusted by the electorate,” Hunt said, warning that Johnson’s scandals imperil the party’s majority. “We are set to lose the next general election.”