Govt blocks Labour’s call for no confidence vote that could trigger general election

The government has blocked Labour’s efforts to hold a no-confidence vote aimed at ousting Boris Johnson from Number 10 immediately.

A Labour spokesman accused the government of “running scared” by refusing to allow time to debate the motion.

But a government spokesman said Labour had chosen “to play politics” by tabling a vote of no confidence in both the government and the PM.

“As the prime minister has already resigned and a leadership process is underway we do not feel this is a valuable use of parliamentary time,” he added.

If Labour amends the motion “appropriately”, the government said they will allow a debate to take place on “the next business day”.

A Labour spokesman said: “This clapped-out government is running scared and refusing to allow time to debate Labour’s vote of no-confidence motion. This is totally unprecedented.

“Yet again the Tories are changing the rules to protect their own dodgy mates. All the Tory leadership candidates should denounce this flagrant abuse of power to protect a discredited prime minister.”

Labour wanted the vote – which allows all MPs to have their say on the government – to take place in the Commons tomorrow, rather than allowing the prime minister to stay in post until 5 September, when the Conservatives elect a new leader.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it would be “intolerable for the country” for Mr Johnson to stay on after he was forced to resign as prime minister last week in the face of a raft of ministerial resignations over his handling of disgraced MP Chris Pincher.

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Sir Keir added: “The Tory party has at last concluded that the prime minister is unfit for office, that was blindingly obvious a very, very long time ago. He is leaving because his own party has concluded that he can’t be trusted.

“They can’t now let him cling on for weeks, and weeks, and weeks… we’re challenging them to put their constituents first, and put the country first.”

Opposition parties, including the SNP and Liberal Democrats, said at the time that they would back the vote.

If Labour’s original no-confidence motion was passed, Mr Johnson could be removed from office and a general election potentially triggered.

Today, Labour sources said they would relish a national ballot, but their aim was to secure the prime minister’s immediate exit from Number 10.

However, to get the simple majority in Parliament required for the move to succeed, Labour would need the support of some Tory MPs.

A number of Conservatives spoke out last week about Mr Johnson remaining in charge while his successor is chosen and called for his removal.

Eleven Tory MPs had entered the race to succeed Mr Johnson as leader of the Tory party and prime minister, although Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has now dropped out.

Yet now that the 1922 committee of backbench Tories has confirmed its timetable for the leadership election, with a new prime minister to be named on 5 September, dissenting voices have grown quieter, meaning Labour is unlikely to win a vote.

James Murray, the shadow financial secretary to the Treasury, said Labour felt “forced” to call the vote after the 1922 committee did not act to remove the prime minister and that it was “the last opportunity” before Parliament goes on its summer break next week.

Speaking to Sky News’ Kay Burley, he urged Tory critics of Mr Johnson to join with his party, saying: “A lot of them resigned en masse recently. All of them have voted against Boris Johnson. I think the whole country realises that [the prime minister] just has no integrity and honesty.”

Mr Murray said another Conservative MP could step in as an interim until the leadership elections are over, and appealed again for a change at the top.

“I just don’t think anyone feels comfortable with leaving Boris Johnson in a position as prime minister, particularly with summer – Parliament doesn’t serve over summer so it’s very hard to keep scrutiny on what he’s doing,” he added.

“We would love a general election… we want that to happen as soon as possible. But this is an opportunity primarily to get rid of Boris Johnson and so Conservative MPs, if they really mean it, they think Boris Johnson is not fit to hold office and they want him out, this is an opportunity for them to get him out.”

Sky News is hosting a live TV debate with the contenders vying to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and therefore prime minister, and you could be in the virtual audience.

The debate will take place on Monday 18 July hosted by Sky News presenter Kay Burley.

If you would like to be a member of the virtual audience and be in with a chance of asking a question, please email NewsDebates@sky.uk.