Beluzia

[Intruder Emerald]

Conservative Leader Julius Rounds to face no confidence vote after resignation of top Conservative spokesperson

Julius Rounds is to face a vote of confidence in his leadership of the Conservative Party after the threshold of five letters of no confidence were sent to the Party Chairman, including from former Conservative Science and Technology Spokesperson Kim Lewis who has also previously been a government minister. Party Chairman Cain Creer announced that the confidence vote wll take place at the beginning of next month. If Conservative MPs vote that they have no confidence in his leadership, then a leadership election will take place.

This comes after months of rumours about Rounds' ability to lead the party, mainly caused by those on the right of the party being unhappy with the policy direction, and others being concerned about poor polling and Rounds' abiltiy to connect with voters. The Conservatives are now polling under the 3% threshold required to win seats in the Quaiyl, which Kim Lewis described as "an existentional crisis for the party".

So far, it is mostly those on the right of the party who have publicly stated they have no confidence in Julius Rounds, but it is understood that a number of other MPs are also worried about his leadership style. One MP, Jimmy Holt, has said that while the policy and platform of the party under Rounds is "sensible", the presentation and appearance of the party leadership was "inadequate". Holt said he has "enormous respect" for Rounds and his leadership of the party, but said "Rounds has now taken the party as far as he can, and in all honesty his leadership is now more of a hinderence to our aims".

The Liberal Conservative wing of the party, generally thought to be more sympathetic towards Rounds, may prove key in the confidence vote. Furthermore, if Rounds is to lose the vote, there are no rules to stop him running in any subsequent leadership election.

Kim Lewis has announced that if Rounds loses the vote, she will run in any leadership election. It is also thought that the Rounds camp are having discussions about who should run to represent their wing of the party, with the current view being that either Rounds will attempt to carry on, or a close ally such as Stephen Causey may run on a continuation and stability platform.