Cumbrian MP Neil Hudson has spoken about their disappointment following the Prime Minister’s survival of the vote of confidence.

The secret ballot took place between 6pm and 8pm on Monday, June 6, with the final total being confirmed by 9pm.

MPs voted 211 in favour of the PM and 148 against so Johnson will not be ousted from his role.

Under current rules, now that Mr Johnson has won a confidence vote, he cannot be challenged again for a year.

The vote was triggered after 54 Tory MPs submitted letters of no confidence to the party's 1922 committee.

 

It follows a steady stream of Tory MPs who publicly called for the Prime Minister to resign in the wake of Sue Gray's Report into breaches of the Covid regulations in number 10 and Whitehall.

Dr Neil Hudson, Conservative MP for Penrith and the Border, said: “I still maintain that I categorically will not defend the indefensible.

“I fully share the country’s and my constituents’ outrage and upset about the Downing Street parties when people up and down the land were making huge personal and sometimes tragic sacrifices to do the right thing and obey the public health rules.

“As I have previously stated, if rules and indeed the law have been broken, then quite rightly there should be serious consequences for all those involved, no matter who they are.

“The fact that the lawmakers went on to break those very laws that they brought in to keep us all safe is deeply damaging for our democracy.

“I believe that situation is untenable moving forward.

“As I have said previously, I had looked to the Prime Minister to outline a timetable and process for an orderly transition to a leadership election as soon as the situation in Ukraine permitted.

“I believed that destabilising the UK Government at this point would undermine international efforts to support the Ukrainian people and bring the despicable Russian invasion to an end.

“However, this did not happen and the Conservative Party acted according to party procedure by calling for a vote of no confidence.

“For the reasons I have outlined in my public statements, I expressed a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson in that 1922 committee vote.

“41 per cent of my parliamentary colleagues also voted in this way.

“I sincerely hope that the Prime Minister and the cabinet reflect on this result closely and act accordingly.

“This is not about Brexit, remain or leave, or part of a campaign by the media or the opposition.

“This is about honesty and integrity in politics.

“As a democrat, I fully respect the outcome of this vote and believe we now need to move forward to do what is best for our country.”

READ MORE: Carlisle MP 'not surprised' Boris Johnson faces confidence vote