Johnson categorically refused to resign Foreign media: The Conservative Party may consider launching a vote of no confidence

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson flatly rejected calls for his resignation when he attended the prime minister's questioning session in Parliament on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press in London.

Johnson is under increasing pressure as a Conservative MPs defect into the opposition Labour camp and a former Conservative Cabinet Minister tells him, "For God's sake, get out."

The request was made by former Brexit Secretary David Davis during the Prime Minister's questioning session in the lower house of the British Parliament. Johnson defended his government's performance in managing the economy, fighting crime and responding to COVID-19, and vowed to lead his party to the next election.

Claims that Johnson and his staff violated the rules helped Labour gain a double-digit advantage over the Conservatives in the polls, but Johnson did not have to face voters before the next general election scheduled for 2024. His greater danger comes from his own party. The Conservative Party has a tradition of ousting its leader from power.

The Conservatives are considering whether to launch a vote of no confidence against Johnson. The public is outraged by the scandal, dubbed the "party gate" — a stunning reversal of fortune for a politician who just led the Conservatives to its largest electoral victory in nearly 40 years more than two years ago.

According to conservative rules, if 54 party MPs – 15% of the party's total house of commons – submit a letter of no confidence to the Conservative House of Commons committee, a vote of no confidence in the conservative party against the party's leader can be triggered.

If Johnson loses a vote of confidence among the 359 MPs in the Conservative Party, it will trigger a competition to replace him as the leader of the Conservative Party. The winner will also become prime minister. If Johnson wins a vote of confidence, he won't face a similar challenge in a year.

So far, only a handful of Conservative MPs have publicly demanded Johnson's resignation, although dozens are believed to have submitted letters of no confidence, including some who were elected in the overwhelming victory led by Johnson in December 2019. (Compilation /Long Jun)

Source: Reference News Network