Raggytash:
I am afraid that Nigel, who is known to be a pedant of the extreme varity, is failing to ackowledge that the Labour party did indeed ask for a vote of no confidence in the government.
No, they did not. A call for a vote of confidence in the government would have led to debate and a vote. They decided to wreck their own attempt at getting a vote. For what reason I cannot know.

DMcG: It is not how I would have played the game, but I don't see it was a stupid blunder.   The options before Labour were to do nothing, call for a standard confidence vote, call for a general vote on whether Johnson should stay, or call for a no-confidence vote in Johnson. They opted for the latter. They would not have been granted the general vote on Johnson, because there is no requirement such a motion be granted in any timescale.
They did not 'opt for the latter' (a confidence vote in Johnson). They combined the options of a vote of confidence in the government with a vote of confidence in Johnson.
Basically, they messed up.