1922 and all that: Johnson’s crisis of confidence

Inside Briefing with the Institute for Government

Institute for Government

News, Politics, Government

4.6 • 252 Ratings

🗓️ 10 June 2022

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Technically, Boris Johnson is safe for another year. But is he really? Deputy Political Editor of the Spectator Katy Balls joins the IFG to discuss the policy challenges ahead for the Prime Minister, as he attempts to unite his party following a devastating confidence vote. Plus, IFG senior researcher Jess Sargeant has the rundown on the government's proposed changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol. “Boris Johnson has been very clear that he’d have to be dragged kicking and screaming from Downing Street.” - Katy Balls “In Wakefield, Labour are 20 points ahead of the Tories. Hammering that result home will be the most important moment of Keir Starmer’s leadership so far.” - Emma Norris “We’ve seen already the EU warning quite strongly about changing the Northern Ireland protocol. The UK’s been hoping that they may get some sympathy from countries like Poland - but that doesn’t look to be happening.” - Jess Sargeant “Hunt has had a fairly good pandemic. He’s kept his profile high while getting hard work done. But it’s hard to see someone like him coming out the other side of this as leader.” - Tim Durrant “What does ‘Benefits to Bricks’ really mean? It sounds like another grand, ill-defined vision that doesn’t end up amounting to much.” - Emma Norris “The Tories won’t change the rules of the 1922 Committee just because they don’t like the by-election results. If they really want rid of them, they’ll find a way to oust him.” - Katy Balls Presented by Bronwen Maddox with Jess Sargeant, Emma Norris and Tim Durrant. Audio production by Alex Rees. Inside Briefing is a Podmasters Production for the IfG. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Inside Briefing, the podcast from the Institute for Government. I'm Bronwyn Maddox.
0:16.0	What a week we've made it through to the end, Just about. So who's the Prime Minister? Just about.
0:22.7	So what does Boris Johnson need to do to take advantage of his vote of confidence victory?
0:26.9	What can he do to bring his party back on side? We'll weigh up his options and try to make sense of the mood of his party.
0:33.8	And if he's looking for a way to unify that divided party is new legislation on the ever-controversial Northern Irish Protocol, really the way to do it, we're going to look ahead to the changes that may be coming down the track.
0:45.0	Joining me to discuss all that is an IFG duo who've been watching events unfold throughout the week.
0:50.1	That's Emma Norris and Tim Durrant.
0:51.7	Hi, both.
0:52.4	Hi, Bronwyn.
0:53.2	Hi, Bronwyn. Great to Bronwyn. Great to be here.
0:54.9	Great to have you. And I'm really pleased as well that we're joined today by someone who understands
0:58.6	the collective mind of the Conservative Party better than most. And that's the spectators' deputy political
1:03.8	editor, Katie Balls. Hi, Katie, quite some week. Indeed, thanks for having me. Very, very good to have you here. Well, let's start with a fallout from Monday's vote.
1:13.7	Katie, we're nearly at the end of this week. Has Johnson survived?
1:18.1	Well, he's still Prime Minister, and I don't think there is the sense that he is about to be moved in that position.
1:24.7	But I think he is in a weaker position than he was a week ago, and that is through the
1:30.2	confidence vote.
1:31.8	Now, technically, Boris Johnson is now safe for 12 months from challenge.
1:36.8	However, rules can be changed quickly.
1:38.4	And I think the margin by which he won that vote, which I'm slightly putting in inverted
1:42.5	commas, because I think it's quite hard for any leader to really win a confidence vote if it is triggered in the first place.
1:48.5	It suggests problems, not strength.
	...

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