Tory leader Boris Johnson is lacking support from more than 40 percent of his party's members of Parliament -- without it, his future is uncertain.

Shannon Longworth Reporter

Boris Johnson remains UK prime minister. But for how much longer?

Jul 05, 2022

Shannon Longworth Reporter

By Shannon Longworth (Reporter), Emma Stoltzfus (Video Editor)

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has continued to stir up controversy within his party after narrowly surviving a no-confidence vote. A week later, he introduced a bill which some Tory members of Parliament strongly disliked. According to the Financial Times, they accused Johnson of “damaging the UK and everything the Conservatives stand for.” The bill would overturn the Northern Ireland protocol that was set up during the Brexit transition.

“The legislation appears to be in breach of articles 26 and 27 of the Vienna convention on international treaties ratified by the UK in 1971,” Tory MP Sir Roger Gale said. “I don’t see how I or any member of parliament can vote for a breach of international law.”

Policy negotiations during the period of time that follows the vote of no-confidence are noteworthy, as Johnson’s predecessor was forced to resign during such a time.

Johnson has expressed hope that the government will move forward.

“We can focus on what we’re doing to help people with the cost of living, with what we’re doing to clear the COVID backlogs, with what we’re doing to make streets and communities safer by putting more police out, and it gives us the opportunity to continue to unite, to level up, and to strengthen our economy,” Johnson said after the vote.

Johnson has been prime minister since 2019. Previously, he served as the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs as well as the Mayor of London.

SHANNON LONGWORTH: AH, THE CONTROVERSIAL HAIR.

WAIT, NO, NOT THAT.

THIS.

THE DISHEVELED MESS ATOP BORIS JOHNSON’S HEAD IS RUMORED TO BE A PART OF HIS CAREFULLY CRAFTED PUBLIC PERSONA.

HIS BEHAVIOR, AND HIS POLICIES, MAKE HIM A POLARIZING FIGURE, AND AS BRITAIN’S TOP POLITICIAN – BORIS JOHNSON IS JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY.

THE LEADER OF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY WASN’T ALWAYS THE SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION. HE SPENT HIS EARLY YEARS WORKING AS A JOURNALIST.

IN ‘97, WHEN HE RAN FOR THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AND LOST. AFTER BUILDING HIS POLITICAL BRAND ON BRITISH TALK SHOWS, HE RUNS AGAIN AND GETS A SEAT.

IN 2007, HE’S ELECTED MAYOR OF LONDON.

LATER, HE’S THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS.

A STAUNCH SUPPORTER OF A HARD BREXIT, JOHNSON RESIGNED OUT OF FRUSTRATION OVER THE SOFTER PLAN THERESA MAY WAS PUSHING THROUGH.

MAY WAS THE CONSERVATIVE PRIME MINISTER AT THE TIME, AND IN 2019, SHE SURVIVED A NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE, ONLY TO LATER RESIGN.

JOHNSON IS ELECTED THE NEW PRIME MINISTER, AND HE WANDERS DOWN THE SAME PATH—ALSO BECOMING THE SUBJECT OF A NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE IN 2022. TRUST IN JOHNSON WAS SHAKEN FOLLOWING REPORTS THAT HE AND HIS STAFF HOSTED PARTIES AT THE PRIME MINISTER’S PRIVATE RESIDENCE–DURING COVID LOCKDOWNS.

JOHNSON’S OFFICE ADMITTED HE WAS FINED FOR BREAKING ONE OF HIS OWN LAWS.

THE VOTE WAS 211 – 148.

THE VOTE WITHIN THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY WENT IN HIS FAVOR, BUT IT MEANT MORE THAN 40 PERCENT OF HIS OWN TEAM STOOD AGAINST HIM.

JOHNSON IS READY TO MOVE ON.

JOHNSON: “WE CAN FOCUS ON WHAT WE’RE DOING TO HELP PEOPLE WITH THE COST OF LIVING, WITH WHAT WE’RE DOING TO CLEAR THE COVID BACKLOGS, WITH WHAT WE’RE DOING TO MAKE STREETS AND COMMUNITIES SAFER BY PUTTING MORE POLICE OUT, AND IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO UNITE, TO LEVEL UP TO STRENGTHEN OUR ECONOMY.”

LONGWORTH: ALL ALONG THE WAY, JOHNSON’S CREATED CONTROVERSY. LIKE IN 2018 WHEN HE WROTE IN A TELEGRAPH COLUMN THAT MUSLIM WOMEN WEARING BURKAS “LOOK LIKE LETTER BOXES.”

EACH TIME, HE’S MANAGED TO SMOOTH IT OVER WELL ENOUGH.

REPORTER: “DO YOU REGRET YOUR COMMENTS?”

JOHNSON: “WOULD YOU LIKE A CUP OF TEA?”

LONGWORTH: SO THAT’S BORIS JOHNSON–JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW.