Boris 'in denial' as he faces MPs after trust vote
Boris defended his government's record on employment, health and Ukraine
Published: 04:06 PM,Jun 08,2022 | EDITED : 08:06 PM,Jun 08,2022
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves from 10 Downing Street in central London to attend the weekly session of Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs). — AFP
LONDON: Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson fought on Wednesday to get back on the policy front foot, but was likened to a 'Monty Python' character who refuses to admit he is mortally wounded. The Conservative leader was facing parliament for the first time since surviving a no-confidence vote of his MPs on Monday, which commentators said had left his scandal-tainted premiership still in peril.
Backers in the House of Commons staged a noisy show of support as he embarked on the weekly session of Prime Minister's Questions. But Tory rebels sitting behind looked glum and laughed along with opposition jibes.
Johnson has branded the 211-148 confidence vote 'decisive' and insisted it is time to 'draw a line' under calls for him to resign over the 'Partygate' scandal, about lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street.
'As for jobs, I'm going to get on with mine'', he reiterated in the Commons, after defending his government's record on employment, health and Ukraine.
'I've of course picked up political opponents all over and that is because this government has done some very big and very remarkable things which they didn't necessarily approve of.'
But Johnson faced repeated taunts about Monday's vote, including comparisons to Monty Python's 'Black Knight' character, who declares 'it's just a flesh wound' when he has his arms and legs chopped off in a duel.
'No amount of delusion and denial will save the prime minister from the truth: This story won't go away until he goes away'', said the Scottish National Party's Westminster leader Ian Blackford.
Johnson's Tory opponents fear that public disgust over Partygate is crippling their party's electoral chances. Some want a return to 'Conservative values' including lower taxes after the Covid pandemic.
Downing Street set the stage for a policy blitz in the coming days, including on Britain's skewed property market, where sky-high prices have deprived younger people of the hope of home ownership.
Rising rental prices are compounding the misery of the worst cost-of-living crisis in generations, which Johnson and his Finance Minister Rishi Sunak are set to address anew as well. Tax cuts will come 'as soon as it is fiscally responsible to do so', Johnson's press secretary told reporters, while ruling out any revamp of his cabinet team to bring in new blood. — AFP
Backers in the House of Commons staged a noisy show of support as he embarked on the weekly session of Prime Minister's Questions. But Tory rebels sitting behind looked glum and laughed along with opposition jibes.
Johnson has branded the 211-148 confidence vote 'decisive' and insisted it is time to 'draw a line' under calls for him to resign over the 'Partygate' scandal, about lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street.
'As for jobs, I'm going to get on with mine'', he reiterated in the Commons, after defending his government's record on employment, health and Ukraine.
'I've of course picked up political opponents all over and that is because this government has done some very big and very remarkable things which they didn't necessarily approve of.'
But Johnson faced repeated taunts about Monday's vote, including comparisons to Monty Python's 'Black Knight' character, who declares 'it's just a flesh wound' when he has his arms and legs chopped off in a duel.
'No amount of delusion and denial will save the prime minister from the truth: This story won't go away until he goes away'', said the Scottish National Party's Westminster leader Ian Blackford.
Johnson's Tory opponents fear that public disgust over Partygate is crippling their party's electoral chances. Some want a return to 'Conservative values' including lower taxes after the Covid pandemic.
Downing Street set the stage for a policy blitz in the coming days, including on Britain's skewed property market, where sky-high prices have deprived younger people of the hope of home ownership.
Rising rental prices are compounding the misery of the worst cost-of-living crisis in generations, which Johnson and his Finance Minister Rishi Sunak are set to address anew as well. Tax cuts will come 'as soon as it is fiscally responsible to do so', Johnson's press secretary told reporters, while ruling out any revamp of his cabinet team to bring in new blood. — AFP