LONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson tried to lift himself off the mat on Tuesday after a stinging rebuke by his Conservative Party. But with a fresh electoral challenge looming and Britain’s economy in a downward spiral, there are few easy ways for Mr. Johnson to reverse his fading fortunes.
Mr. Johnson’s too-close-for-comfort victory in a no-confidence vote on Monday evening left him badly damaged, with plenty of openings for would-be coup plotters. A pair of Parliamentary elections on June 23 could trigger another move against him if, as expected, the Conservatives lose at least one of the seats.
Even if Mr. Johnson clings to power, he faces a hard slog, with surging food and fuel prices, and predictions that Britain could slip into a recession. With more than 40 percent of his lawmakers having turned on him, pushing contentious legislation through the Parliament will be no easy feat.
Ever the happy warrior, an upbeat Mr. Johnson told cabinet ministers on Tuesday that it was time to put internal divisions over him aside and “get on with talking about the issues I think the people in this country want to talk about.”
