The government has tabled a confidence motion in itself after blocking Labour’s bid to remove Boris Johnson from office immediately.
Labour’s request was for a confidence motion in the government and the prime minister and could have triggered a snap general election.
But the government accused the opposition of “playing politics”, claiming it was not “a valuable use of parliamentary time” because the PM has already resigned.
By tabling his own confidence motion, Mr Johnson has been able to set the wording in such a way as to make it easier for his party to vote for it.
It is thought Tory MPs are more likely to back the government’s motion as it will not constitute an endorsement of Mr Johnson.
A government spokesperson said today: “Labour were given the option to table a straightforward vote of no confidence in the government in keeping with contention, however they chose not to.
“To remedy this we are tabling a motion which gives the House the opportunity to decide if it has confidence in the government.
“The government will always allow time for appropriate House matters while ensuring that it delivers parliamentary business to help improve people’s everyday lives.”
