British Prime Minister Boris Johnson denied he was worried that some of his ministers might seek to move against him while he was out of the country at summits in Rwanda and Germany, following election losses overnight.
“I hope that in London – I know that in London – ministers … are getting on with the job of sorting out the cost of living pressures that people face, are delivering on our agenda for change and reform and improvement,” Johnson told a news conference.
Asked if he was concerned about Conservative lawmakers who were not ministers seeking to oust him, Johnson said no.
On Friday, Johnson refused to bow to renewed demands to quit, after his Conservatives suffered two crushing defeats in Westminster elections and a staunch ally resigned. In a letter to Johnson, party chairman and cabinet member Oliver Dowden said “somebody” had to shoulder the blame for “recent events”.
That was widely seen as a reference to “Partygate” and other scandals dogging the prime minister, who only narrowly survived a no-confidence vote this month among Tory MPs.
But Johnson framed the election setbacks as mid-term blues for the Conservatives, as Britain contends with inflation reaching double-digit levels not seen since the 1970s. National strikes by railway workers this week have added to the sense of crisis.
“Clearly we’ve got to listen to these results,” he said from Rwanda, where he is attending a Commonwealth summit.
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