UK's Liberal Democrats to table no-confidence motion against Sunak's govt

 

• Conservatives could not secure 474 council seats.
• Liberal Democrats to submit the motion Tuesday.
• Sunak calls weekend disappointing amid local polls.

After suffering a massive defeat in the local elections, the United Kingdom’s Liberal Democrats announced Monday that they are going to table a no-confidence motion against the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, compelling the ruling party to announce polls in June.

According to BBC News results, the ruling conservative party could not secure 474 council seats The Liberal Democrats also witnessed a surge in their share of power with 104.

Prime Minister Sunak told journalists Monday: "Of course, this was a disappointing weekend for us but the result of the next general election isn't a foregone conclusion ... the situation is closer than many people are saying or indeed some of the opinion polls are predicting."

"I'm absolutely determined to fight incredibly hard for what I believe and for the future country that I want to build," the 43-year-old noted.

On the contrary, the Conservatives’ loss triggered nationwide demand for general elections as he had earlier noted that he had intended to do so in the second half of the year.

The ruling party could avert the no-confidence vote since they currently have the majority in the parliament’s lower house.

Reuters reported that the British government is not expected to give parliamentary time to debate confidence motions if brought forward by opposition parties other than the Labour Party.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said in the statement that the party would submit the motion on Tuesday.

"These local elections showed the country has had enough of Rishi Sunak and his out-of-touch Conservative government," Davey said.

Traditionally, governments that have lost a confidence vote have either resigned to make way for an alternative administration, or the prime minister has requested a dissolution from the monarch, triggering a national election.

The last time an election was forced by a no confidence motion was in 1979, when Jim Callaghan, then Labour prime minister, lost the vote in parliament and requested a dissolution.