United Kingdom, UK,Prime Minister,PM, Theresa May ,faces a vote of no confidence in her leadership after 48 of her Conservative Members of Parliament called for one to be held.
But a defiant Mrs. May vowed to contest the vote “with everything I have got”.
She warned that a new prime minister would be faced with the choice of “delaying or even stopping Brexit”.
She warned that a new prime minister would be faced with the choice of “delaying or even stopping Brexit”.
A majority of Tory MPs have publicly said they will back the PM in the
vote, which runs for two hours from 18:00 GMT, but it is a secret ballot.
vote, which runs for two hours from 18:00 GMT, but it is a secret ballot.
A result is expected fairly quickly after the voting finishes. However,
immediate statements of loyalty for the prime minister were issued by every member of her cabinet, including several who have been touted as possible successors.
immediate statements of loyalty for the prime minister were issued by every member of her cabinet, including several who have been touted as possible successors.
Foreign Secretary ,Jeremy Hunt said Mrs May was “the best person to make sure we actually leave the EU on March 29”, while Home Secretary Sajid Javid said a leadership contest would be seen as “self-indulgent and wrong”.
So far, 174 Tory MPs have publicly said they will vote for her, with 34 publicly against, according to BBC research monitored in Abuja today,She needs to secure the votes of 158 MPs to survive.
If Mrs. May wins the confidence vote she cannot be challenged as Conservative leader for at least another year. If she does not win the vote there would then be a Conservative leadership contest in which she could not stand.
If Mrs. May won – but not overwhelmingly – she may decide to stand down as party leader and trigger a leadership contest in which she could not stand.
A Conservative Party spokesman said Mrs. May was “fighting for every vote” and said she did not believe the contest was about who leads the party into the next general election, but about whether this is the time to change leader.
In her statement delivered early this morning, Mrs . May said: “A leadership election would not change the fundamentals of the negotiation or the Parliamentary arithmetic.
“Weeks spent tearing ourselves apart will only create more division just as we should be standing together to serve our country. None of that would be in the national interest.” She said she was making progress in her talks with EU leaders and vowed to “deliver on the referendum vote and seize the opportunities that lie ahead”.
The Conservatives had to build a “country that works for everyone” and deliver “the Brexit people voted for”.
“I have devoted myself unsparingly to these tasks ever since I became prime minister and I stand ready to finish the job.”
Will there be a new prime minister if she loses the vote?
Not immediately. She would be expected to stay on as a caretaker prime
minister until a new Conservative leader is selected by the party, a process that could take up to six weeks.
Will there be a new prime minister if she loses the vote?
Not immediately. She would be expected to stay on as a caretaker prime
minister until a new Conservative leader is selected by the party, a process that could take up to six weeks.
If there are multiple candidates, Conservative MPs hold a series of votes to choose two to go forward to a vote of party members. As leader of the largest party in the Commons, the new Conservative leader would then be expected to be asked to form a government and become prime minister, without a general election..
Speaking early today,Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “The time for dithering and delay is over. The prime minister has negotiated her deal. She has told us it is the best and only deal available.
“There can be no more excuses, no more running away. Put it before
Parliament and let’s have the vote.”
Mrs May said the vote will take place, and as Labour MPs shouted
“when?” at her she said: “We’ve had a meaningful vote, we had it in
the referendum in 2016.”
Parliament and let’s have the vote.”
Mrs May said the vote will take place, and as Labour MPs shouted
“when?” at her she said: “We’ve had a meaningful vote, we had it in
the referendum in 2016.”
The PM added: “And if he wants a meaningful date I’ll give him one; 29
March 2019 when we leave the European Union.”
Veteran pro-European MP Ken Clarke called the prospect of a leadership
contest “unhelpful, irrelevant and irresponsible”, prompting loud cheers from the Tory benches.
March 2019 when we leave the European Union.”
Veteran pro-European MP Ken Clarke called the prospect of a leadership
contest “unhelpful, irrelevant and irresponsible”, prompting loud cheers from the Tory benches.
But the SNP’s leader at Westminster Ian Blackford called on Mrs May to stand down, saying her government was “an embarrassment”. The prime minister who promised she would be strong and stable is instead at the top of a party that looks weak and chaotic at a vital time.
She’s in this position, her critics say, because of the choices and
missteps she has made.
But her supporters would say it was because for some people in the
Tory party who have had years of fury about Europe, nothing would ever
have been good enough.
One of her cabinet colleagues is predicting a “long day” but a “solid
win”.
missteps she has made.
But her supporters would say it was because for some people in the
Tory party who have had years of fury about Europe, nothing would ever
have been good enough.
One of her cabinet colleagues is predicting a “long day” but a “solid
win”.
