Bumpier road ahead of 'wounded' Johnson after no-confidence vote
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Despite narrowly surviving a no-confidence vote of his own Conservative Party MPs, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to face several challenges in the coming period.
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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes his first appearance in Parliament on Wednesday since narrowly surviving a no-confidence vote - by 211 votes to 148 - of his own Conservative MPs that have undermined his leadership.
Johnson's backers are likely to stage a noisy show of support when he steps up for his weekly Prime Minister's Questions at 1100 GMT.
Critics have warned the political storm is far from over for Johnson after 148 Tory MPs failed to back him.
"Johnson achieved a remarkable election victory in 2019. But he has let things slide since then," former cabinet member David Davis wrote in The Times.
"His victory in (Monday's) vote provides his last chance to get his act together."
"Convincing result"
Johnson, who has called the results of the vote a "convincing result", has vowed to plow on, insisting it was time to "draw a line" under questions about his leadership.
His team has tried to regain the offensive by pointing to a setpiece speech expected in the coming days on new economic support measures, as Britons struggle with a cost-of-living crisis.
There are also growing calls for Johnson to cut taxes to ease the burden on people and reunify his traditionally low-tax party.
"I would like to see cuts where they're possible," Health Secretary Sajid Javid told BBC News.
"And I know that this is something the government is taking very seriously," he added.
But many doubt Johnson can recover voters' trust, as the party braces for two parliamentary by-elections this month and an upcoming investigation by MPs into whether he lied to parliament over "Partygate".
Under current Tory rules, the Prime Minister cannot be challenged again for a year, which leaves little time for any new leader to emerge before the next general election due by 2024.
"An honorable exit"
Even without any obvious candidate to succeed him, former Tory party leader William Hague has argued Johnson should now "look for an honorable exit."
Comparing Monday's margin to votes that ultimately toppled Johnson's predecessors Margaret Thatcher and May, Hague said it showed "a greater level of rejection than any Tory leader has ever endured and survived."
"Deep inside, he should recognise that, and turn his mind to getting out in a way that spares party and country such agonies and uncertainties," he wrote in The Times.
