Over Half Of Britons Believe UK Parliament Should Dismiss Johnson - Poll

Muhammad Irfan Published June 06, 2022 | 10:02 PM

More than half of Britons, or 60%, believe that the UK parliament should vote to remove Prime Minister Boris Johnson from office, according to a poll by YouGov published on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2022) More than half of Britons, or 60%, believe that the UK parliament should vote to remove Prime Minister Boris Johnson from office, according to a poll by YouGov published on Monday.

Earlier in the day, Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative Party's parliamentary group known as the 1922 Committee, said that on Monday evening Johnson will face a vote of no-confidence over the Partygate scandal.

According to the survey, only 27% of respondents wanted Johnson to stay in office and keep the position of the Conservative party leader, while 60% voted for removing Johnson. Only 13% of those surveyed found it difficult to answer the question, the poll showed.

Earlier in the day, the Telegraph reported that at least 100 members of the parliament have so far publicly expressed support for Johnson ahead of the no-confidence vote, while the prime minister must receive at least 80 more votes to remain in office. This will reportedly be problematic for the prime minister's office, as the support Johnson has now is significantly lower than his predecessor, Theresa May, had in December 2018 ahead of her vote of no confidence.

UK lawmakers do not necessarily have to publicly express their position and say how they will vote, so the balance could change significantly, the newspaper added.

Johnson himself has welcomed the vote of no-confidence and reminded UK lawmakers that when they are united and focused on the issues that matter to voters "there is no more formidable political force," The Guardian quoted a spokesperson for the prime minister's office as saying.

Johnson has been grappling with calls to resign after a series of leaks showed that several social gatherings were held at his offices throughout 2020 and 2021, flouting COVID-19 social distancing rules. The situation was aggravated by the reports that two more parties were held on April 16 last year, right before Prince Philip's funeral, when the UK still maintained COVID-19 restrictions and was in national mourning. Johnson later apologized and said he had paid the fine issued by the Metropolitan Police.