Jacob Rees-Mogg has tried to downplay the importance of a vote of confidence in Boris Johnson, saying it is the “routine of politics.”
Referring to the threshold of Conservative MPs who have sent a letter of censure, he told Sky News: ” they like the leader of the party. “
Mr Rees-Mogg later said: “I don’t think getting to the 15 per cent bar is particularly harmful, or in fact particularly surprising. I think it’s a relatively low bar and quite easy to get to.”
Highlighting other prime ministers who have survived a vote of confidence or threats to their leadership, Rees-Mogg said the vote is part of the “routine of politics.”
“So I wouldn’t focus on a particularly limited rule, I would just look at the generality of politics that there are always people who want the top job and a lot of people who have been public in the last few days clearly want the top job. by themselves and so they mess things up a bit, ”he said.
“And we’ll see, I hope the prime minister wins the vote later today and then he’ll calm everything down.”