Partygate Scandal: UK PM Boris Johnson wins confidence vote

London, Jun 07: Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday survived a dramatic no-confidence motion, with 211 members of his party voting for him and 148 voting against him.

Johnson has been struggling to turn a page on months of ethics scandals, most notably over rule-breaking parties in government buildings during COVID-19 lockdowns.

The result of the confidence motion was announced live on television by party grandee Graham Brady. Out of 359 votes, 211 MPs expressed confidence in PM Johnson, who has been rocked by rising inflation and the partygate scandal.

Soon after the results of the vote were declared, Leader of the Opposition Kier Starmer tweeted that the UK faces a choice between "divided Tories" and a "united Labour party".

"The Prime Minister won handsomely. I think the important thing to remember is that we only are able to deliver if we are united. I hope we can draw a line under this now and focus on delivery," education minister Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News.

In recent weeks, more than 40 Tory MPs had publicly called for Johnson's resignation as party leader over the scandal of COVID law-breaking parties dubbed partygate under his premiership at Downing Street, an issue which remains in the spotlight since the scathing findings of leadership failures in an inquiry by top civil servant Sue Gray.

The report, released after a Scotland Yard probe which saw Johnson and wife Carrie being fined for a lockdown-breaching birthday party in the Cabinet Room of Downing Street in June 2020, laid bare parties and misconduct within government offices during the 2020-2021 lockdowns to control the spread of coronavirus.

Johnson returned to Parliament to reiterate a previous apology, saying he took full responsibility for what went on under his watch. However, besides the Opposition, there have been growing calls for him to step down within his own party quarters.