Boris Johnson has described a mass Tory revolt over his leadership as "a very good result for politics and the country".
The Prime Minister's comments came after a crunch confidence vote this evening which saw Conservative MPs back Mr Johnson by 211 to 148 votes. Every single Conservative MP took part in the vote on Monday, with the results meaning that Johnson received 58.8 per cent support of the party, with 41.2 per cent currently being against his current leadership.
It was a result worse than Theresa May received in her 2018 confidence vote, but Mr Johnson was still in an upbeat mood.
Read more: Family man unmasked as big-time drugs boss in Manchester's criminal underworld
He said: "I think this is a very good result for politics and for the country, it's a convincing result, a decisive result and what it means is that as a Government we can move on and focus on the stuff that I think really matters to people.
"We now need to come together as a Government, as a party, and that is exactly what we can now do."
Asked how it compared to past confidence votes in Conservative prime ministers, he added: “I have got a far bigger mandate from my own parliamentary colleagues than I had in 2019.”
He ruled out a snap election in order to gain a new mandate from the public, insisting he was focused on the public’s priorities.
The Prime Minister said: “I see no point in focusing on anything else and I’m certainly not interested in snap elections. What I’m interested in is delivering right now for the people of this country.”
What do you think - should the Prime Minister resign? Have your say below
But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says Mr Johnson is 'unfit' to be Prime Minister and claimed Conservative MPs have failed to “show some backbone” and remove the PM.
He went onto say: "The Conservative Party now believes that good government focused on improving lives is too much to ask. The Conservative Party now believes that breaking the law is no impediment to making the law.
“The Conservative Party now believes that the British public have no right to expect honest politicians. Over the weekend the whole country celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
“It was a tribute to 70 years of humility, decency and respect. A reminder of our common cause to build a better a country for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren. It is grotesque that the very next day the Conservative Party has chosen to throw that sense of duty and those values on the bonfire.”
The vote came after a last ditch plea by Mr Johnson to keep his job earlier this evening, with backbenchers crammed in a small House of Commons room to hear the Prime Minister's pitch.
Mr Johnson is understood to have told MPs: "The people in this room won the biggest electoral victory for the Conservatives for 40 years under my leadership and if you don’t believe that we can come back from our current position, and win again then you haven’t looked at my own record or the record of this party."
The MEN has been told that Mr Johnson citied his "achievements" on Brexit and the vaccine rollout and said he was determined to deliver on the Government's levelling up agenda.
He also warned them that Tory splits risked the “utter disaster” of Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour entering Downing Street, propped up by the SNP.
He signed off by telling MPs: "Let us refuse to dance to the tune of the media, let us refuse to gratify our opponents by turning in on ourselves
"Let’s show this country that we understand that this is a moment to unite and to serve and if we can do that then believe you me whatever they may say about me I will lead you to victory again."
The ballot was triggered after at least 54 MPs – 15% of the party’s representatives in the Commons – said they had no confidence in the Prime Minister.
The vote follows Sue Gray’s damning report into breaches of Covid regulations in Number 10 and Whitehall during lockdown. The ballot is secret, but many MPs - including Bury North's James Daly - declared their positions prior to the vote.
Explaining his decision, Mr Daly said: "I am very disappointed about what has happened. I know from the many conversations I have had with constituents here in Bury, Ramsbottom and Tottington on the doorsteps and the letters and emails sent to me, that many people share these concerns.
"However, I also have to consider what the country as a whole needs now in the face of rising costs of living and a precarious international situation. I think the responsible thing to do then is to continue to support this government in tackling these problems."
Heywood MP Chris Clarkson branded the plan to oust Mr Johnson "absolutely crackers", adding: "This is a handful of malcontents who haven't provided and coherent alternative plan for the country - it's an exercise is ego fluffing and it'll only help Labour."
Conservative Party rules mean that another confidence vote cannot be held for at least a year.
Get the latest stories by signing up to our newsletter here.
