Tories Say Johnson Safe Despite Probe Blaming Him for Partygate
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
(Bloomberg) -- Members of Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party say the UK prime minister is in no imminent danger over “partygate,” as several lawmakers privately called a long-awaited report on the scandal a damp squib.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Rare Ship-to-Ship Transfers Keep Oil Moving From Russia to China
Stocks Rally Amid Bright Spots in Retail Earnings: Markets Wrap
These Are the Best — and Worst — Cities for Work-Life Balance
Fed Saw Aggressive Hikes Providing Flexibility Later This Year
Biden Demands US ‘Stand Up’ to Gun Makers After Texas Attack
A succession of Tories spoke supportively of Johnson in the House of Commons on Wednesday, after Britain’s leader said he was “humbled” by the publication of a probe into illegal parties in Downing Street during the pandemic.
The release of Sue Gray’s report was long predicted to be a tricky moment for Johnson and had had the potential to spur a fresh wave of anger from his backbenchers and renewed calls for his resignation. Conservative MPs have the power to force a no-confidence vote on Johnson if 54 of their number -- 15% of the total -- write letters demanding he stand down.
Read More: ‘Humbled’ Johnson Slammed by Probe Laying Out Partygate Scandal
But one Tory MP, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the party had switched off from the saga. A cabinet minister, who also asked not to be identified, said the Gray findings were built into the political calculation and that Johnson had survived. A third MP said that, even if 54 letters went in to trigger a confidence vote, Johnson would win it.
Prior to Gray’s report, a handful of Conservative MPs had publicly called for Johnson to step down, but there were no new resignation calls on Wednesday. The premier is due to address his rank-and-file MPs at a meeting of the influential backbench 1922 committee at 5 p.m.
Even a Labour MP tried to put a positive spin on events, saying the result is Johnson would limp on to the next general election due by 2024 at the latest.
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
The Tech Rout Isn’t Just Cyclical—It’s Well-Earned, and Overdue
Mark Zuckerberg Is Blowing Up Instagram to Try and Catch TikTok
Deadly Heat in India Is a Warning of Global Catastrophes to Come
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.