Boris Johnson was warned by a Tory senior MP that he would face a challenge to his leadership if the Prime Minister does not stabilize his premiership following a massive revolt against Covid passes.
By 369 votes to 126, the House of Commons approved Mr Johnson’s proposal to require these documents for large venues and nightclubs in England.
However, 98 Conservative MPs voted against it and put a stop to Mr Johnson’s power.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brownn (treasurer of the 1922 Committee of ToryMPs) stated that this evening’s vote revealed a major division within the Conservative Party. He also said, “We all know what happens with disunited Parties.”
Sir Geoffrey stated that there had to be a “major shift” in how Mr Johnson runs the Government. The backbencher claimed the PM was ‘in some danger’ and the PM has to’realize this’.
The MP said that unless Mr Johnson gets his leadership back on track then ‘some members of the party will be thinking to themselves we have got to have a change’ with a leadership contest ‘on the cards’ next year.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brownn (treasurer of the 1922 Committee of ToryMPs) stated that this evening’s vote revealed a major divide’ in the Conservative Party. He also said, ‘We all know what happens to disunited party’
Sir Geoffrey suggested that Mr Johnson’s leadership of the Government must undergo a major change. Backbencher Martin said the PM was ‘in some danger’ and that the PM must recognize this.
Johnson spoke to the 1922 Committee prior to the vote to encourage Tory MPs support his plans.
He was speaking individually to the people who earlier had said that they were against the measure.
Sir Geoffrey, who was one of the 98 Tories to vote against the PM, said: ‘I think now the Prime Minister has got to think very carefully about how he is going to reset his performance to actually govern with a united party because we all know what happens to disunited parties.
‘I think he can do it but it is going to involve a major change of the way he does things and consults us basically.’
Sir Geoffrey said that the PM “has to realize that he must consult his party properly prior to bringing these kinds of measures to The Commons.”
Asked how much danger the PM is in, Sir Geoffrey said: ‘He has got to now be in some danger and he has got to realise that because if he doesn’t raise that then he will be in much bigger danger.’
Asked what that means for Mr Johnson, the MP said: ‘If this goes on, we have had a very bad month in the last month, I think some members of the party will be thinking to themselves we have got to have a change.
‘But we are not there yet and I am still with him, I am still backing him, but he has got to change.’
Sir Geoffrey stated that he has not reached the point where he would send a note of no confidence to Mr Johnson to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of 1922 Committee.
Asked if some of his colleagues are, he replied: ‘Well, I haven’t had anybody who has openly said to me that they are going to put letters in and I don’t know because Sir Graham is a paragon of discretion and he won’t even tell me as a fellow member of the 22 committee.’
Sir Geoffrey warned that the PM might face a leadership problem next year if it doesn’t change its stance.
‘I think that has got to be on the cards and he has got to realise that and he has got to change,’ he said.