British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has won a vote of confidence in his leadership of the Conservative Party.

Conservative members of parliament voted on whether they want Johnson to continue as party leader. The secret ballot was triggered after a certain number of MPs said they had no confidence in Johnson.

On Monday, the prime minister won the confidence vote, with 211 of the 359 MPs backing him, and 148 voting against.

Johnson has come under fire over a series of parties held in the prime minister's office and elsewhere while strict coronavirus lockdowns were in place in 2020 and 2021. As a result, more than 80 officials, including Johnson, were fined and harshly criticized in a government inquiry report.

Popular discontent with the prime minister is not limited only to the lockdown party allegations, however. An increasing number of citizens are complaining about skyrocketing prices.

According to a poll conducted in early May, 26 percent of respondents said they think Johnson is doing well as prime minister, while 68 percent said they think he was doing badly.

With the victory on Monday, he is now shielded from another leadership challenge for a year under party rules.

But the latest vote is seen as having dealt a serious blow to his political authority in the party.