Boris Johnson: Don’t change the rules to allow another vote of confidence, says health minister Sajid Javid | Political news

Conservative MPs should not change the rules to allow another vote of confidence in the prime minister within a year, says Sajid Javid.

The health minister said it was a “clear and decisive outcome” on Monday night when Boris Johnson won a vote of confidence among his MPs – although 148 voted against him.

There have been suggestions that the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs could change the rules that currently stipulate another vote of confidence in a leader cannot happen within a year after they have passed. win a vote.

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Rebel MP Tobias Ellwood told Sky News on Tuesday he believes the committee is consider changing the rules so the Prime Minister could face another vote in six months.

But Mr Javid told Sky News’ Kay Burley: “Of course, they shouldn’t have changed the rules.

“There’s no need to change any of the rules because we’ve got the vote, it’s a clear, decisive outcome.

“And we have to get to work.”

MPs unhappy with Mr Johnson can send a letter of no confidence to 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady, and on Monday he announced a threshold of 15 per cent among Tory MPs – 54 – already doing so, this triggered the vote.

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Speculation grew after Monday’s vote, with one “influential” insurgent telling The Times that a “majority of 1922 officers” would agree to change the rules “when the time comes” – and they expect it to happen before the party convention. in October.

But Tory MP Karl McCartney, who was on the 1922 Committee, said 16 MPs in the executive branch “never discussed changing the rules” and speculating that was “nonsense”.

A source close to the 1922 Committee told Sky News a rule change is expected to be discussed at their meeting this week but they don’t think it will happen.

“You can’t do this when a year has started. You can do it before the vote or after the year is over but I can’t see how you can change the rules mid-match. “, they say.

Mr Javid also addressed claims that the Prime Minister would rather promote those already loyal to him than those with experience.

“My experience is that he wants the best people in the right roles so that we can deal with the enormous challenges, especially post-pandemic, that we face as a nation,” he said. a country”.

“That’s why I think, for example, I’ve been asked to take on this role. For me, this is the hardest job I’ve had in government by far.”