BORIS Johnson rallied his top team around him today after surviving his vote of confidence last night.
But what will happen now after the PM got so near to being booted out by his own MPs just hours ago?
BACK TO THE DAY JOB
Today the wounded PM gathered his Cabinet together – ordering them to focus on what really matters to voters.
He vowed to get on with delivering his programme to invest in the NHS, slash childcare costs and look to cut taxes too.
No10 said he would “focus relentlessly on the issues that were uppermost in people’s minds” – including cutting the costs of government and spending taxpayer cash “wisely”.
All Cabinet ministers were told to find more ways to cut some of the costs the public and businesses are facing.
PMQs
The PM will face down his rebels for the first time in public at PMQs on Wednesday lunchtime, where he’s likely to be in for a bruising time from Sir Keir Starmer.
A true test of whether the PM might be able to survive will be the support of his backbenchers behind him at the despatch box – and if they publicly rally around him or leave him out to dry.
RESHUFFLE?
Rumours are swirling in Westminster the PM could have a reshuffle of his top team to stamp his authority on the party, get rebellious MPs back on side with shiny new jobs, and breathe fresh life into his team.
One was said to be being planned for the summer, but this may be moved forward.
Ministers unhappy with the PM’s direction could try and inflict a wound on him by quitting in a flurry – but so far there has been little sign of that.
No10 said this morning there were “no currently plans” for a reshuffle.
FIGHT BACK SPEECH
A PM speech had already been pencilled into the diary for this week – before the vote of confidence was called.
It’s expected to be a radical shake-up of the right to buy council homes in a bid to woo over young Brits keen to get a grip on the housing ladder.
But after his bruising set-back on Monday, he’s set to use the chance to set out a new vision for his leadership and inspire his backbenchers he’s still the right man for the job.
It will also be the first time he’ll face a grilling from the press since the vote, too.
PLOTTERS REGROUP
Meanwhile the rebels, feeling buoyed from their better-than-expected result on Monday evening, will regroup and figure out what to do next.
Many of them will be looking for new ways to embarrass the PM, and will look at ripping up Tory rules to force another confidence vote even sooner.
With the 148 votes against Boris, it’s also possible they could club together to vote against the Government on major new laws, effectively leaving the PM powerless and unable to run the country.
BY-ELECTION HELL
June 23 will see two crunch by-elections take place after two Tories were forced to quit.
Tiverton and Honiton MP Neil Parish was pushed out after it was revealed he was the Tory MP who watched porn in the House of Commons.
But his seat in Devon is at huge risk of swinging to the Lib Dems, in another headache for the PM.
And Wakefield in West Yorkshire is up for grabs too after Imran Ahmad Khan was convicted for sexually assaulting a teenage boy.
But Labour are predicted to storm the seat and win it off the Tories, further slashing the Tory majority down.
PRIVILEGES COMMITTEE PROBE
And the PM will face yet another ‘Partygate’ probe in the coming weeks over claims he misled Parliament.
MPs voted in favour of a Labour plot calling for an inquiry by the privileges committee about the lockdown-busting events at the heart of Government during lockdown.
It’s thought to be the first time a sitting PM has faced such an investigation.
It will start taking evidence over the summer and likely take three or four months before producing his conclusions.
FORCED OUT?
Of course, there’s still a chance the PM could still be forced out of office if MPs continue to pile pressure on him.
Some are also hoping his Cabinet will eventually turn on him and persuade the PM to try and quit – though at the moment that’s looking unlikely.
He still faces a rough few months with several moments of danger to come.
But unless the Tory party change the rules to allow another confidence vote sooner than a year, it could be a long time before MPs get the chance to try and oust him again.
