LONDON, July 6 (Reuters) – An election for a British Conservative Party committee will be held before it decides on a possible change in the rules governing the holding of a vote of confidence which may have to be submitted to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, three parliamentarians said on Wednesday.
The announcement came as London’s political crisis escalated on Tuesday with the resignation of two senior Boris Johnson ministers, weary of repeated scandals rocking the administration.
The Prime Minister reiterated Wednesday his desire to remain in office, saying that the context – inflation and war in Ukraine in particular – was not conducive to change Downing Street.
Boris Johnson narrowly overcame, last month, a procedure launched by deputies of his Conservative Party with a view to impeach him, following in particular “Partygate” – the alcoholic parties organized Downing Street in spite of the confinement measures imposed in the countries in the face of COVID-19.
A new vote of confidence can currently only be organized after a period of one year.
The “1922 Commission” of the Conservative Party, which defines these rules, has decided to organize an election next Monday to choose the new members of its leadership, indicated the elected Conservatives.
It will be up to this new leadership to decide whether or not to modify the rules governing the vote of confidence, in order to submit or not Boris Johnson again to the vote of the Conservative deputies, they specified. (Reporting Elizabeth Piper, Alistair Smout and Andrew MacAskill; French version Jean Terzian)