Prime Minister Boris Johnson survives confidence vote – with support from MPs near Sheffield

The vote was triggered by Conservative MPs after the Sue Gray report into parties in Downing Street during lockdown, and after he was fined by police for attending one of them.

In the vote of conservative MPs this evening, it was revealed this evening that 211 MPs voted that they had confidence in Mr Johnson. But a total of 148 voted that they did not have confidence in him. Under official party rules, there cannot be another confidence vote for a year.

It was more MPs voting against him than voted against former Prime Minister Teresa May before she was removed from office.

Several MPs from South Yorkshire and areas bordering Sheffield had said they would vote in support of the Prime Minister.

Sheffield Stocksbridge MP Miriam Cates said: “I supported the Prime Minister in this vote as I do not believe we have reached the threshold for the removal of a Prime Minister who was elected with an overwhelming majority of 80 seats.

“To do so would be to erase the mandate given to him by the people of this country in 2019, and that should only be done in the most exceptional circumstances. The Prime Minister has rightly apologised and taken responsibility for the mistakes that were made, but in my view those are not reason enough to remove him from his position outside of an election.”

Meanwhile, the future of Sheffield City Council chief executive Kate Josephs, who was also named in the Gray report in connection with her own leaving party from her previous job in Westminster, is still unknown.

Ms Josephs was put on gardening leave under an independent Sheffield Council investigation is completed.

Several MPs from constuencies bordering Sheffield or elsewhere in South Yorkshire have said that they were backing Mr Johnson.

Alexander Stafford, Rother Valley MP, had earlier expressed support for Mr Johnson, describing him as getting the big calls right on Brexit, the Covid vaccine and Ukraine,

He said: “Now is the time for unity so we can do what we were elected to do, deliver for the people of Britain.

“I will be supporting the Prime Minister tonight. I believe this is the right thing to do. I am tired of this topic playing into the hands of the opposition, remainers and the mainstream media.”

Nick Fletcher MP for Don Valley, said he was supporting Mr Johnson. He said: “I will be supporting the Prime Minister tonight. I believe this is the right thing to do. I am tired of this topic playing into the hands of the opposition, remainers and the mainstream media.”

Brendan Clarke-Smith, MP for Bassetlaw, said he was supporting Mr Johnson.

And Lee Rowley, MP for North East Derbyshire, which includes Eckington and Killamarsh, said Changing PMs was huge thing and now was not time for a leadership contest. He added: “Mistakes have undoubtedly been made but, bottom line: the public gave us job to do in 2019 and we need to re-focus. I’m giving PM the chance to get on with the job and restore trust after these difficult times.”

Visitors to Sheffield city centre gave their own views. One told The Star: “I’m a socialist at heart but I don’t think he’s done a lot wrong. He’s what he is, isn’t he?”

Another said she absolutely thought that they should be voting for him to go. She said: “He’s clearly bad for the country.”