A haunted-looking Boris Johnson looks from the front pages of many newspapers after a dramatic night of Conservative party bloodshed in Westminster.
The Prime Minister is shown being ousted from the Commons on Downing Street after winning a vote of censure by the Conservatives in his leadership by 211 to 148.
Although he described the victory as decisive and pledged to “fight” the government, the reaction of some conservative support newspapers suggests he will not be able to draw a line in the face of his Partygate problems soon.
“A wounded winner,” the Times says, alongside Johnson’s image that looks strangely similar to the famous Margaret Thatcher who was ousted from Downing Street after being ousted in a Conservative coup.
The newspaper adds that it was a worse result than expected for Johnson and draws another parallel with Thatcher noting that the same proportion of MPs voted against it. He resigned two days later.
The headline on the cover of the Daily Telegraph says “Empty victory destroys the Conservatives” and carries a secondary headline that says Johnson’s authority has been “crushed” as the rebels seek to end it.
Newspaper columnists line up to give a strong verdict on Johnson’s prospects for leading the party into the future with Tim Stanley declaring that the prime minister “looks like a toast”.
The Financial Times also suggests that the Prime Minister is badly damaged by the vote with his headline saying “Johnson hurt in the vote of confidence when 41% of Conservative MPs rebel.”
The Mirror proclaims “The party is over, Boris” and says the prime minister has been “brutally attacked” by his own side “and is warned he will leave in a year’s time”.
The Guardian’s splash says “The Prime Minister is clinging to power after the humiliation of the vote,” with columnist Martin Kettle writing, “He is irreparably damaged. Politicians are not recovering from these things.”
The cover of the i says “Johnson injured in danger” and within his political editor, Paul Waugh, says Johnson is “the sick man of Downing Street, who infects everyone around him.”
Metro also believes it’s time for Johnson to leave: “The party is over Boris.”
Tomorrow’s paper Today 📰
THE PARTY IS OVER BORIS 🎉
“Survive the vote of confidence … but hit it off, as 41% say it’s time to leave.” com / 7fYT62cZOJ
– Metro (@MetroUK) June 6, 2022
However, the Prime Minister still has some defiant support from his cheerleaders in the national newspapers. Reflecting the concern of some Conservatives that pouring Johnson is an election suicide, the Post has mocked a red button marked “Lib Dems Labor SNP” and says that “MPs hit the self-destruct button by opening it brings her to the coalition of the smiling Starmer chaos. ” Below, its main headline reads “Boris swears: I’m going to hit.”
Photography: Mail
The Express also tries to give an optimistic note with a headline that says: “Challenging and without inclination … Boris: I will lead the game to victory”.
The splash of the Sun is “The Night of the Blonde Knives,” saying Johnson has been “stabbed in the back by 148 deputies.”
Tomorrow’s cover: New photo of Lilibet celebrating his first birthday posted by Harry and Meghan // Boris Johnson narrowly survives a vote of confidence when 148 conservative rebels nailed him in the back pic.twitter.com/sUnTO3b7zE
– The Sun (@TheSun) June 6, 2022
In Scotland, the Herald says “Wounded and weakened, but Johnson pledges to stay in office”, while Press and Journal says “Boris’s coup despite winning the vote of confidence”.
The Record chooses to throw the winning slogan of Johnson’s election with the title of the cover: “Make Borexit done”
The Northern Echo says “Boris continues (for now)”, while the Newcastle Journal asks “Are you leaving?”