UK PM Boris Johnson survives no-confidence vote

AP
In this file photo taken on December 30, 2020 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives a double thumbs up after signing the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and the EU, at 10 Downing Street in central London. (AFP/File)
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  • Johnson won the backing of 211 out of 359 Conservative lawmakers, more than a simple majority
  • Johnson still faced a significant rebellion of 148 MPs with no clear front-runner to succeed him

LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has survived a no-confidence vote, securing enough support in his party to remain in office despite a rebellion that will likely weaken him as a leader and casts a shadow over his 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 the 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, more than the simple majority needed to remain in power, but still a significant rebellion of 148 MPs. With no clear front-runner to succeed him, most political observers had predicted he would defeat the challenge.

But the rebellion represents a watershed moment for him — and is a sign of deep Conservative divisions, less than three years after Johnson led the party to its biggest election victory in decades.