Bludgeoned Boris survives no-confidence vote

LONDON (AP):

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a no-confidence vote on Monday, securing enough support from his Conservative Party to remain in office despite a substantial rebellion that leaves him a weakened leader with an uncertain future.

Known for his ability to shrug off scandals, the charismatic leader has struggled to turn the page on revelations that he and his staff repeatedly held boozy parties that flouted the COVID-19 restrictions they imposed on others. Support among his fellow Conservative lawmakers has weakened as some see a leader renowned for his ability to connect with voters increasingly as a liability rather than an asset in elections.

Johnson won the backing of 211 out of 359 Conservative lawmakers in a secret ballot, more than the simple majority needed to remain in power, but still a significant rebellion of 148 MPs.

Johnson called it a “convincing” win and said the party should now “come together”.

“What it means is that as a government we can move on and focus on stuff that I think really matters to people,” he said.

With no clear front runner to succeed him, most political observers had predicted Johnson would defeat the challenge.

But the rebellion could still be a watershed moment for him – and is a sign of deep Conservative divisions, less than three years after he led the party to its biggest election victory in decades.