Boris Johnson Faces Prospect of No-Confidence Vote

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, is said to have received the required number of letters of no confidence to call a vote.

A total of 54 such letters (15 percent of the party's 359 MPs) are needed for Johnson to face a confidence vote in a secret ballot. If the beleaguered PM, reeling from the fall-out over so-called “partygate”, fails to win the support of a majority of MPs in this vote, he will be forced to resign, Sputnik reported.

According to sources cited by the outlet, some Tory rebels are speculating that Brady may have been sent as many as 67 letters. However, the MP for Altrincham and Sale West is thought to be waiting until after the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend celebrations before informing Johnson.

According to a former cabinet minister, there is an "80 percent chance" of a leadership challenge after two by-elections slated for 23 June: in Wakefield, and Tiverton and Honiton. The Wakefield by-election was triggered after Conservative MP Imran Ahmad Khan was found guilty of sexual assault.

However, it is likely that the no-confidence vote could come even before the by-elections, added the insider.

"It's 55 percent that it happens on Monday or Tuesday. It's 80 percent there's a vote after the two by-elections," the source was cited as saying.

Should Johnson end up facing a vote of no confidence, analysts expect him to survive, as 180 Tory MPs would be required to vote him out.

According to the report, Tory rebels have threatened to refuse to back Johnson’s government on legislation issues if he emerges from the vote with anything other than a convincing win.

James Johnson, co-founder of JL Partners, said the Conservative Party would be abandoned by Wakefield voters because the Prime Minister "tried to cover-up partygate, and lied to the public".