Rees-Mogg says PM stays even if he wins by one vote but previous comments come back to haunt him

Mr Rees-Mogg today suggested Boris Johnson would remain PM even if he won by only one vote, but his previous comments on the contest involving Theresa May have come back to haunt him.

Back in 2019, when Theresa May faced a confidence vote, Jacob Rees-Mogg was organising against her.

And when she lost the support of 117 of her own MPs, he said that was a terrible result and that she should really resign.

Now he is one of Boris Johnson’s chief cheerleaders, he has a very different take on that.

Low barrier

Mogg insisted that the 15% threshold needed for a no-confidence is “a relatively low barrier,” adding: “I don’t think we should be surprised by it.”

He said: “I think you would find in all parties at all times there is about 15% who for whatever reason don’t like the leader of the party.

“There is a strong element of people who don’t like Brexit, who would like to reverse Brexit. There are other who are far from being gruntled for other reasons.”

Asked about booing at St Paul’s Cathedral, he said: “A little bit of booing, a little bit of cheering that is perfectly normal.”