Boris Johnson was left staggering on as British Prime Minister today after a bruising night in the Commons.
He won a Tory no-confidence vote in his leadership by 211 to 148 - exposing a rift in the Conservative party that could still prove fatal for his premiership. The result means that 41% of his own MPs voted to oust him - with the fallout of the Partygate scandal and the public’s lack of trust in him cited by many.
The margin of victory was so narrow that some believe the coup could still signal the end of Johnson’s three-year stint in Downing Street. It was a worse result than the no-confidence vote against his predecessor Theresa May in December 2018 - when 37% of her own MPs went against her - and she resigned six months later as she felt she had lost the support of her party.
Read more: Boris Johnson confidence vote on as Tory rebels make move to topple UK Prime Minister
The vote has unsurprisingly dominated the front pages on the UK newspapers. And the reaction of some Tory-supporting publications shows the seriousness of the situation for Johnson.
The Daily Telegraph
The headline of The Daily Telegraph reads, ‘Hollow victory tears Tories apart’. The sub-heading goes on to say that Johnson’s authority has been ‘crushed’ with ‘rebels circling to finish him off as Prime Minister’.
The Telegraph’s piece goes on to say that the proportion of MPs who voted against him was a record. The paper notes that the size of the rebellion was ‘greater than those faced by Theresa May, Sir John Major and Margaret Thatcher in similar votes’.
The Times
On the front of The Times, a haunted-looking Johnson is pictured being driven away from the Commons after last night’s vote. Above the image, the headline reads: “A wounded victor.”
The paper notes that while Johnson claimed the result was ‘decisive’ - it was worse than expected. Quentin Letts, The Times’ political sketch writer, quotes some Tory MPs who said the vote had left Johnson in ‘limp-on territory’.
The Financial Times
The headline of the FT reads, ‘Johnson wounded in confidence vote as 41% of Tory MPs rebel’. The paper says the manner of the victory has left him ‘badly damaged’ - exposing the ‘scale of division and animosity in his party’.
The Daily Mail
Johnson does, however, still have the unwavering backing of some Tory-supporting papers. The Daily Mail’s headline declares, ‘Boris vows: I’ll bash on’ - adding that 148 Conservative MPs have hit the ‘self-destruct button’, opening the door to ‘smirking Starmer’s coalition of chaos’.
The Daily Express
Like the Mail, the Express has been more supportive of Johnson’s predicament - with its headline reading, ‘Defiant and unbowed … Boris: I’ll lead party to victory’. While the paper admits the PM had been ‘bruised’ by the outcome, it says that he remains resolute - and is determined to ‘deliver for Britain’.
The Sun
The tone of The Sun’s front page also suggests its continued support of Johnson - painting the Tory rebels as traitors. Its headline reads, ‘Night of the blond knives’ - a reference to the Night of the Long Knives, when Adolf Hitler had his political opponents executed in Nazi Germany in 1934. The paper added that Johnson had been 'stabbed in the back by 148 MPs’.
The Daily Mirror
The Daily Mirror, which first broke the Partygate story, plays on the scandal for its headline, which reads, ‘Party’s over, Boris’. The paper describes the no-confidence vote as a ‘disaster’ and ‘humiliating’ - and quotes Tory MP Sir Roger Gale as saying he would be surprised if Johnson was still in Downing Street by autumn.
The Metro
The Metro has gone on a similar line to the Daily Mirror, with a headline that reads, ‘The party is over Boris’. The paper goes on to outline fears that Johnson will be left a ‘lame-duck’ Prime Minister, like his predecessor Theresa May, ahead of crucial by-elections.
The i
The i newspaper splashes with, ‘Wounded Johnson in peril’ - quoting a Tory backbencher who now hopes the Cabinet will ‘do the right thing’ and stage a coup against Johnson.
The Guardian
The headline for The Guardian reads, ‘PM clinging to power after vote humiliation’ - saying that the vote could leave the government ‘paralysed’ because he has effectively lost his majority in parliament. Writer Gaby Hinsliff adds that Johnson is a ‘lame-duck leader’ and the Tory party has ‘lost the plot’.
The Daily Record
In Scotland, The Daily Record goes with the headline, ‘Get Borexit Done’ - playing on Johnson’s famous, three-word slogan leading up to the UK’s departure from the European Union. The paper describes the vote as ‘brutal’ and again says that ‘the party’s over’ for the PM.
