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Conservative MPs will decide whether to remove Boris Johnson from office later, amid a backlash to the Partygate scandal.
The secret ballot has been triggered by scores of Tory MPs writing to party bosses calling on the PM to quit.
Anger among backbenchers has been rising since Sue Gray published her official report into lockdown parties in No 10 last month.
Cabinet ministers have been rallying round Mr Johnson ahead of the vote.
At least 180 Tory MPs need to vote against him to oust him from office, and a vote which passed that threshold would trigger a contest to replace him as Tory leader and PM.
But if a majority of them express their confidence in Mr Johnson's leadership, then he will be safe from another challenge for a year.
The vote will take place in the House of Commons between 18.00 and 20.00 BST, with a result expected to be announced shortly after.
Confirmation of a no-confidence vote comes after more than a week of speculation over the PM's future after Ms Gray's report was published.
An interim version of the report, published in January, prompted a trickle of Tory MPs to urge Mr Johnson to stand down.
But the full version, which laid bare the scale of Covid rule-breaking in No 10, has led to renewed calls within the party for him to resign.
There has also been unhappiness within the party over tax rises and the government's response to rising living costs.
The no-confidence vote was announced earlier by Sir Graham Brady, who chairs the 1922 backbench committee that organises such contests.
He confirmed he had informed the PM on Sunday that the required threshold for a vote - 15% of the party, or 54 MPs - had been hit.
Earlier, former minister Jesse Norman became the latest Tory MP to confirm he had submitted a no-confidence letter over Partygate.
The MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire said Mr Johnson had presided over "a culture of casual law-breaking" in No 10.
But he also criticised "deeply questionable" government policies, including its attempt to rewrite post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland, the policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda.
However, cabinet ministers have expressed their support for Mr Johnson ahead of the vote later, with many of them taking similar lines in defending the prime minister's record.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the PM had "got the big calls right - securing life-saving vaccines, firing up our economy and standing up to Putin's aggression against Ukraine".
Chancellor Rishi Sunak added: "From the vaccine rollout to our response to Russian aggression, the PM has shown the strong leadership our country needs.
"I am backing him today and will continue to back him as we focus on growing the economy, tackling the cost of living and clearing the Covid backlogs."
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
Johnson achieves 58.8% support of Conservative Party Boris Johnson has received 58.8% of support from the Conservative Party, with 41.2% voting against his leadership.
Every single Conservative MP voted.
This result is lower than the 63% received by Theresa May during her leadership challenge in 2018.
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
Johnson achieves 58.8% support of Conservative Party Boris Johnson has received 58.8% of support from the Conservative Party, with 41.2% voting against his leadership.
Every single Conservative MP voted.
This result is lower than the 63% received by Theresa May during her leadership challenge in 2018.
Can he continue?
He'll probably try to bluff his way out of this.
Learning to read clusters is not something your eyes do naturally. It takes constant practice.
Two by-elections in two weeks time, could be tricky for him
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
Am I the only one who's starting to think that Johnson's tenure is great entertainment and want more of the same?
His only hope, emergency budget with tax cuts, then call a snap election for mid August.
It would destroy the finances, but Bojo wont care
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’
‘Where there is harmony, may we bring discord. Where there is truth, may we bring error. Where there is faith, may we bring doubt. And where there is hope, may we bring despair’