Boris Johnson wins but Conservative rebellion could still be a watershed moment for him

Embattled British Prime Minister Boris Johnson survived a no-confidence vote on Monday.

He secured enough support from his Conservative Party to remain in office, despite a substantial rebellion that leaves him a weakened leader with an uncertain future.

Reacting afterwards, Johnson put a positive spin on what he described as a "very good result for politics and for the country."

He added the result now allowed the government to focus on more important things, such as helping "the people of this country and all the things we're doing to take this country forward".

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Johnson won the backing of 211 out of 359 Tory lawmakers in a secret ballot, more than the simple majority needed to remain in power, but still a significant rebellion of 148 MPs.

With no clear front-runner to succeed him, most political observers had predicted Johnson would defeat the challenge.

But the rebellion could still be a watershed moment for him - and is a sign of deep Conservative divisions, less than three years after he led the party to its biggest election victory in decades.

The prime minister's winning margin was less than that secured by his predecessor Theresa May in a similar vote in December 2018.

She was forced to resign six months later.