Prime Minister Boris Johnson survives confidence vote – with support from Doncaster MP

The vote was triggered by Conservative MPs after the Sue Gray report into parties in Downing Street during lockdown, and after he was fined by police for attending one of them.

In the vote of Conservative MPs this evening, it was revealed this evening that 211 MPs voted that they had confidence in Mr Johnson. But a total of 148 voted that they did not have confidence in him. Under official party rules, there cannot be another confidence vote for a year.

It was more MPs voting against him than voted against former Prime Minister Teresa May before she was removed from office.

Several MPs from South Yorkshire and areas bordering the county had said they would vote in support of the Prime Minister.

Nick Fletcher, MP for Don Valley, said he was supporting Mr Johnson. He said: “I will be supporting the Prime Minister tonight. I believe this is the right thing to do. I am tired of this topic playing into the hands of the opposition, remainers and the mainstream media.”

Several MPs from constuencies bordering Doncaster or elsewhere in South Yorkshire have said that they were backing Mr Johnson.

Alexander Stafford, Rother Valley MP, had earlier expressed support for Mr Johnson, describing him as getting the big calls right on Brexit, the Covid vaccine and Ukraine,

He said: “Now is the time for unity so we can do what we were elected to do, deliver for the people of Britain.

“I will be supporting the Prime Minister tonight. I believe this is the right thing to do. I am tired of this topic playing into the hands of the opposition, remainers and the mainstream media.”

Brendan Clarke-Smith, MP for Bassetlaw, said he was supporting Mr Johnson.

And Lee Rowley, MP for North East Derbyshire, which includes Eckington and Killamarsh, said Changing PMs was huge thing and now was not time for a leadership contest. He added: “Mistakes have undoubtedly been made but, bottom line: the public gave us job to do in 2019 and we need to re-focus. I’m giving PM the chance to get on with the job and restore trust after these difficult times.”

But Sheffield MP Miriam Cates has yet to say whether she was backing Mr Johnson in the secret ballot of Conservative MPs.

And the future of Sheffield City Council chief executive Kate Josephs, who was also named in the Gray report in connection with her own leaving party from her previous job in Westminster, is still unknown.

Ms Josephs was put on gardening leave under an independent Sheffield Council investigation is completed.

Visitors to Sheffield city centre gave their own views. One said: “I’m a socialist at heart but I don’t think he’s done a lot wrong. He’s what he is, isn’t he?”

Another said she absolutely thought that they should be voting for him to go. She said: “He’s clearly bad for the country.”