Tudorama captures the drama of the Confidence Vote in Boris Johnson by the Conservative MPs in early June 2022. But does it result in a victory, defeat, or both?
Monday 6 June
The news breaks at 8.00 in the morning. The announcement comes from the man in charge of a possible confidence vote, Sir Graham Brady, in a hastily arranged press conference at Westminster.
The threshold of letters of discontent has been breached and a vote of confidence in the Prime Minister will be held precisely 12 hours later. Unseemly haste.
The Jubilee has dominated the news for a week. Now it’s as if the pent-up demand has burst through.
As the morning proceeds, more and more news items emerge. The vote is to take place early evening, with a result expected around nine pm. A flurry of interviews and tweets. His prospective successors are the most emphatic in their support of the PM. With the exception of Jeremy Hunt, who publicly declares his vote for change, a euphemism for dishing Boris.
Midday.
John Penrose, anti-corruption resigns for, er, roughly lack of faith in the PM’s probity.
2.00pm
We learn that Boris Johnson has written a lengthy personalised letter to every one of his MPs.
4.00pm.
The PM addresses his MPs in his last plea before the vital vote. A minister has stated anonymously that a hundred votes rejecting the PM is possible, but would be ultimately fatal.
6.30pm
ITV coverage largely similar to BBC’s. Robert Peston keeps the tension going. ‘He may survive tonight..but we don’t know’. The reports of the letter written to his MPs saying they have a chance to deal with the media’s favourite obsession , brings to mind another departing leader ‘you won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore.
Thinking, it all goes back to messages MP’s are getting from their constituents. Another memory, of a friend, a committed Tory, bombarding his MP and local councillors with advice to help depose Boris Johnson.
7.00pm
Scottish MPs declaring their intention to vote against the PM. David Gauke a former conservative minister dismissed by BJ says a vote with more than 100 against would be bad for Johnson, 130 near fatal.
8.00pm
Daily Mail reports 150 conservatives have said they are voting to support the PM. The voting ends.
9.00pm
BJ win the vote but by a narrower margin than anticipated. 211 votes to 148. Harassed ministers are wheeled out to defend the indefensible. A disheveled Simon Hart lengthily asks ‘problem, what problem?’ Over 40% of his MPs has rejected him. Technically, he is safe from another vote of confidence for a year.
The only immediate predictable outcome will be the residual pledges of support.
Has Boris Johnson retained his reputation of the Teflon kid? It’s still true that a week is a long time in politics.
9.30pm
Another disheveled figure, the PM, claims a victory permitting him to carry on with delivering his policies.
Then George Eustice appears with a similar unconvincing message.
10.30pm
What the papers say:
Guardian. PM clinging to power
The FT. Johnson wounded in confidence vote.
The Telegraph. Hollow victory tears Tories apart.
Pundits for BBC say the vote is worse than was expected by anyone. Prof Menon says a difference in the PM’s situation might be absence of any big beast in opposition.
The following days reveal the political upheavals following the vote.
