UK’s Boris Johnson had a bad week. Here are the next potential flashpoints
- Scale of rebellion in the Conservative Party this week leaves lasting questions about UK PM Boris Johnson’s ability to lead
- Johnson is facing two likely by-election losses, a committee inquiry over lockdown parties, a cost-of-living crisis and a Tory conference
Having narrowly survived a no-confidence vote by his own lawmakers, Boris Johnson’s position as UK prime minister appears safe for now, but for how long?
More than 40 per cent of Conservative Party MPs voted in a secret ballot earlier this week to oust their leader, following the publication of civil servant Sue Gray’s report into parties at Downing Street during Covid-19 lockdowns.
The ballot, organised by the party’s powerful 1922 Committee of backbench MPs, weakened Johnson’s authority both within his own cabinet and the country. Under the committee’s current rules, which could easily be changed, another vote can’t be held for a year.
Johnson’s weakened position comes as the country faces inflation at its highest level since the 1970s, due to the effects of the pandemic, soaring fuel prices caused by the war in Ukraine and, although less easy to quantify, the effects of the UK leaving the European Union.
00:49
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survives no-confidence vote
Earlier this week, the Paris-based OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) predicted economic growth in the UK will grind to a halt next year, with only Russia performing worse among the G20 economies.
