Boris Johnson wins vote of confidence after MPs vote on his future

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said he thinks Boris Johnson will win the confidence vote and it will “draw a line” under division over his leadership.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: “If he wins then that draws a line under this.”

Pressed on whether it will bring closure and unite the Conservative Party, Mr Javid said: “If he wins, then that’s a win – and by the way I do think he will win, but that’s obviously a decision for all my colleagues.

“But at that point we draw a line under this because that’s, I think, more than anything, that is what the country wants to see.”

“Is it right to have a vote? As I say, that’s a decision for my colleagues, I have full respect for them,” he added.

“We have this vote but, as a democratic party, you follow the rules and a win is a win and then we unite behind our leader and keep on delivering – that’s what this is about.”

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, acknowledged that Boris Johnson will not necessarily be safe even if he survives tonight’s vote.

Although the Conservative committee’s rules say there could not be another confidence vote for 12 months, Sir Graham said those procedures could be changed.

“Technically it’s possible for rules to be changed but the rule at present is there would be a period of grace,” he told reporters.

Boris Johnson was booed while attending the Platinum Jubilee service on Friday, the boos could be heard as he approached St Paul’s Cathedral.

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the Tory 1922 Committee, told reporters in Westminster that Boris Johnson was informed last night that the threshold to trigger a vote had been reached.

He said some colleagues had post-dated their letters until after the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

He told reporters in Westminster: “I notified the Prime Minister yesterday that the threshold had been reached.

“We agreed the timetable for the confidence vote to take place and he shared my view – which is also in line with the rules that we have in place – that that vote should happen as soon as could reasonably take place and that would be today.”

He refused to confirm how many letters had been received or when the threshold had been passed but said “it is slightly complicated because some colleagues had asked specifically that it should not be until the end of the Jubilee celebrations”.

A No 10 spokeswoman said: ‘Tonight is a chance to end months of speculation and allow the Government to draw a line and move on, delivering on the people’s priorities.

‘The PM welcomes the opportunity to make his case to MPs and will remind them that when they’re united and focused on the issues that matter to voters there is no more formidable political force.’

Sir Graham told reporters that the PM had been informed that the threshold for a vote of confidence had been met yesterday.

Speaking to the press outside Westminster, Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee, suggested that the threshold had been met prior to today but announcemnet had been held back over the Jubilee.