A vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson will be held by Conservative MPs from 18:00 to 20:00 BST. If he loses, he will stand down as prime minister.
The vote was triggered after at least 54 Conservative MPs asked for it. At least 180 Conservative MPs – a majority – will have to vote against the PM tonight, if he is to leave.
The vote follows anger over Sue Gray’s report detailing lockdown rule-breaking in Downing Street dubbed partygate.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has urged Tory MPs to “show some leadership” and vote against Boris Johnson in the ballot later.
Most of the cabinet declare support for the PM in public – secret ballot
The confidence vote was confirmed just after 8am today. 16 of the 22 members of the cabinet have already publicly declared they will vote for Johnson to remain a Tory leader in the secret ballot being held later today.
Snakes in the pit
Among them, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove tweeted: “The PM got the big decisions right on Brexit and Covid. We need to focus now on defending Ukraine, driving levelling up and generating growth.”
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “No leader that I’ve known of my party has got 100% support from every single colleague, but we make decisions through due process openly and transparently, and tonight is an opportunity to put all this behind us and get on with the job.”
Chancellor announces his support for Johnson
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has joined the cabinet members and other ministers in announcing their support for Boris Johnson before this evening’s confidence vote.
He says the PM has shown “strong leadership” across issues such as the vaccine rollout and support for Ukraine.
Justice Secretary Dominic Raab also says Johnson has “got the big calls right” as he urged Tory MPs to back him.
Brexit Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg says the “time for navel-gazing is over” and says MPs would be wise to accept the PM’s mandate from the electorate.
Why they should back Johnson
A document telling Tory MPs why they should back Johnson prior to the vote of no confidence.
Ahead of this evening’s confidence vote, Boris Johnson’s team has sent a message to all the party’s MPs, stating why they should support the prime minister. The main points are:
- The government needs to concentrate on the war in Ukraine and the rising cost of living at home
- Boris Johnson is focused on lowering crime, reducing taxes and cutting NHS waiting times
- The PM dealt with the “biggest peacetime crisis in a generation” in Covid, with a rapid vaccines rollout and “unprecedented” help for workers and businesses
- A full Tory leadership contest would lead to “civil war” in the party, benefiting Labour
Read the headlines from Today’s newspapers
………………………………………………..