British government to hold confidence vote in itself on Monday

Britain's government will hold a confidence vote in itself on Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's political spokeswoman said on Wednesday, after blocking an effort to bring one by the opposition Labour Party after ministers objected to its wording.

Johnson has said he will step down once the governing Conservative Party chooses a new leader, but the Labour Party wanted a vote of confidence against both the government and Johnson to try to force him to leave earlier.

The government blocked Labour's attempt saying Johnson should be left out of any confidence motion. Conservative lawmakers - even those critical of Johnson - have said they will vote to support the government, given the prime minister has said he will step down. 

"We're tabling a motion which gives the house (of Commons, lower house of parliament) the opportunity to decide if it has confidence in the government," Johnson's spokeswoman said, adding she believed it would be debated on Monday.

Asked why Labour's motion was blocked, she said a motion of confidence in the prime minister personally was not a good use of parliamentary time, and said Labour was "playing politics".

"However, we are now upholding the underlying constitutional principle that the government of the day must always command the confidence of the house," she said.