Conservative MPs have resoundingly backed Boris Johnson’s government in a confidence vote, despite an overwhelming party rebellion which saw him resign as prime minister earlier this month.
Some 349 MPs voted to shore up Mr Johnson’s administration for the interim period before a new Tory leader is chosen, with 238 largely opposition MPs voting in favour of bringing down the government.
Monday evening’s historic vote came amid renewed Labour, Liberal Democrat and SNP for the prime minister to step down immediately and hand over to a caretaker.
If the government had been defeated it would have almost certainly triggered a general election. But a Tory rebellion appeared unlikely, given the party remains leaderless and in no fit state to go to the polls.
The wave of Tory anger at Mr Johnson from earlier in July has largely subsided, as the party’s MPs squabble over Mr Johnson’s successor.
Mr Johnson claimed he had “delivered on every single promise” earlier on Monday, as he sought to persuade his party to back the government and keep him in office for another six weeks.
The outgoing PM attempted to polish his legacy by telling the Commons he had led “one of the most dynamic governments of modern times” which had overcome “adversity on a scale we haven’t seen for centuries”.
Cheered by Tory MPs, the PM pointed to his 2019 general election victory over Labour, saying his party had “sent the great blue ferret so far up their left trouser leg they couldn’t move”.
Sir Keir fired back by accusing Mr Johnson of indulging in sheer fantasy when it came to his legacy. “The delusion is never-ending – what a relief for the country that they finally got round to sacking him,” he said.
The Labour leader added: “He’s been forced out in disgrace, judged by his colleagues and peers to be unworthy of his position and unfit for office.”
Urging Tory MPs to act, Sir Keir said: “So, why are they leaving him with his hands on the levers of power for eight weeks? … This is not the summer for Downing Street to be occupied by a vengeful squatter, mired in scandal.”
Mr Johnson started Monday afternoon’s debate by saying he had no idea why the Labour leader wanted a confidence motion.
But he was politely reminded by the speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle: “It’s actually the government who has put [this motion] down for today.”
No 10 combatted Labour’s initial push to force a no confidence vote in Mr Johnson personally by instead tabling a motion asking MPs whether they have confidence in the government as a whole.
Mr Johnson also used a speech in the Commons to suggest Sir Keir was plotting with the “deep state” take Britain back into the EU.
The PM used the phrase beloved by conspiracy theorists, as he repeatedly claimed the Labour leader wanted to overturn Brexit – despite Starmer’s insistence he wanted to make Brexit work.
“We got Brexit done, and the rejoiners and revengers were left plotting and planning and biding their time,” Mr Johnson said, before suggesting his legacy was under threat.
He said: “Some people will say as I leave office that this is the end of Brexit … and the leader of the opposition and the deep state will prevail in its plot to haul us back into alignment with the EU as a prelude to our eventual return.”
Challenging Tory MPs to uphold his hard Brexit deal, Mr Johnson added: “We on this side of the House will prove them wrong, won’t we?”
Responding to confidence vote result, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Conservative MPs have failed once again to listen to their constituents and get rid of this failed prime minister.”
Earlier, Labour former minister Dame Margaret Hodge said the confidence vote was “essential to call a halt to the dangerous Trumpian assault on everything we value in our British democracy”.
But Tory MP Sir Edward Leigh said he “wholly regrets the departure of this prime minister and I remain completely loyal to him to the very end … And I think we will ask ourselves, what have we done?”
The loyalist said it was not as if Mr Johnson was “the worst sort of mass murderer and criminal in political history”.
