Boris Johnson, Sajid Javid and Rishi Sunak visiting the New Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Welwyn Garden City on April 6
(Picture: Getty Images)ChangingTory leadership rules which prevent MPs from forcing a second confidence vote in Boris Johnson inside a year would be “grossly unfair”, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Wednesday, as Conservative rebels plot new ways of putting pressure on the Prime Minister.
Mr Johnson, who faces Prime Minister’s Questions later on Wednesday, won a confidence vote held by Tory MPs on Monday night by 211 votes to 148, removing any immediate prospect of a change of leadership.
But his margin of victory – with 41 per cent of his party voting against him – has left his future far from secure with opponents of the PM now reportedly weighing other ways to force him out including a ‘strike’ on key parliamentary votes and changing the rules governing Tory leadership challenges.
On Tuesday the senior Conservative Tobias Ellwood, chair of the Defence Committee and an outspoken critic of Mr Johnson, said he understood the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs was looking at whether to amend its rules to allow another confidence vote within 12 months.
But speaking to Sky News, Mr Javid said: “Of course they shouldn’t change the rules. There’s no need to change any rules because we’ve had the ballot…a clear, decisive result. And now we just get on with the job.”
While he admitted he wasn’t an “expert” on the 1922 Committee’s rules, he added: “He’s got the confidence of the of the majority of MPs and that’s how this works. No Prime Minister I’ve known in the past has had the confidence of 100 per cent of MPs…there’s a democratic decision, and that’s why we’re going to get on with the job here for the years to come.
Speaking later on Times Radio, he added: “Most people would think if you change the rules it would be grossly unfair, it would be the wrong thing to do, so I wouldn’t support that. If anyone wants to exercise the current rules, that’s their right.”
Amid reports that Mr Johnson could be preparing a Cabinet reshuffle to reward loyal ministers and MPs and to punish those suspected of not supporting the Prime Minister, Mr Javid dismissed the suggestion that disloyal ministers should be fired.
“Of course not. We have had the vote, it was a fair, open transparent vote..It’s a clear and decisive result. The party has confidence in its leader. Let’s get on with the job.”
