How did my MP vote on Boris Johnson? The Scottish Tories who voted in Boris' no confidence motion
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has survived a confidence vote in his leadership of the Tory party, with 211 MPs to 148 voting in support of the Prime Minister, but his authority has been dealt a significant blow.
When former PM Theresa May faced a confidence vote in 2018 she secured the support of 63% of her MPs - but was still forced out within six months. Mr Johnson saw 41% of his MPs vote against him, a worse result than Mrs May.
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Hide AdHere’s how Scottish Tory MPs voted on Mr Johnson last night and Scottish reactions to the results of the vote.
How did my MP vote on Boris Johnson in no confidence motion?
Most of Scotland's Conservative MPs voted against Mr Johnson keeping his job, with four out of six Tory members of parliament saying they did not have confidence in the Prime Minister. Just two Scottish MPs, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack and David Duguid, MP for Banff and Buchan, voted to back the PM.
After the vote Mr Jack, MP for Dumfries and Galloway, said the Prime Minister had his full support and he was "very pleased that he has received the backing of a clear majority of the Parliamentary party".
"We now need to put this behind us, and get on with what really matters - tackling the very real major challenges we face both at home and abroad," he said.
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Hide AdMr Duguid also backed the Prime Minister with his vote, stating that "nothing that's happened in the last 24 hours has changed my opinion on whether or not the Prime Minister needs to resign, so tonight I voted against the motion of no confidence. With our recovery from the pandemic and the global inflation pressures that have yet to hit us fully, I believe this is in the best interests of the country”.
However, these two MPs were in the minority. The remaining four Scottish MPs, Douglas Ross, the Scottish Conservatives' leader, MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine Andrew Bowie, MP for for Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk John Lamont, and MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale David Mundell, were among the 41% of Tory MPs who said they had no confidence in the PM.
Earlier in the day Mr Ross said he could not "in good faith support Boris Johnson". He has since then faced widespread criticism from Scottish politicians, including Ian Blackford and other party leaders, for his back-and-forth on the issue.
Mr Lamont quit as Foreign Secretary Liz Truss' ministerial aide and pledged to vote against the PM.
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Hide AdFormer Scotland secretary and MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale David Mundell has also said he voted against Boris Johnson, tweeting that: "After a difficult couple of years and listening to the views of my constituents, I voted tonight for a fresh start and new leadership for our country".
Scottish reactions to Boris Johnson’s no confidence vote
Ian Blackford, the SNP's Westminster leader, said Mr Ross' position was now "completely untenable" after the Scottish Conservatives' leader said that he had “not sought to bring this vote about at this time” and the “the timing of this vote is far from ideal”, as well as being apparently indecisive on whether or not to support the Prime Minister.
"If he had any principles or dignity he should quit as Scottish Tory leader. He has made himself look utterly ridiculous by flip-flopping over Boris Johnson's future and will have no authority or credibility if he tries to cling on," Blackford said.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: "That result is surely the worst of all worlds for the Tories. But much more importantly: at a time of huge challenge, it saddles the UK with an utterly lame duck PM. And for Scotland, it just underlines the democratic deficit - only 2 of (Scotland's) 59 MPs have confidence in the PM."
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Hide AdAlex Cole-Hamilton, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, called Boris Johnson a "liar and lawbreaker who isn't fit to remain Prime Minister for a moment longer". He added that people "won't forget the riotous parties, Douglas Ross' U-turns or being taken for granted".
Anas Sarwar, leader of Scottish Labour, tweeted: "Boris Johnson may have survived his MPs, but the British people know he is done."
Patrick Harvie, the co-leader of the Scottish Greens, said: "The overwhelming majority of the public have recognised for some time that Boris Johnson is unfit for office. This vote shows that an ever-increasing number of Tory MPs share that view, at least in so far as it relates to their own self interest."
He added it was "remarkable that the self-styled 'minister for the Union' appears to have lost the confidence of his Scottish Tory MPs", and said: "It's only a matter of time before Douglas Ross accepts what many of us have known for a long time: that Westminster simply doesn't get Scotland."
Additional reporting by PA.
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