Husband lends his support
PRIME MINISTER Theresa May was last night warned that her grasp on power had suffered a critical blow as more than a third of her own MPs deemed that she was not the right leader for the Conservative Party.
Mrs May faced wide-ranging criticism from across the political spectrum, including figures from within her own party in Westminster, after she saw off an attempt by rebel backbenchers to end her tenure as both the Tory leader and Prime Minister.
The results of a confidence vote in Mrs May’s leadership were greeted by jubilant scenes among Conservative MPs who had gathered in committee room 14 in the Houses of Commons to learn if she was to remain in post as the nation’s most powerful politician.
While Mrs May secured 200 votes supporting her, a further 117 Conservative MPs decided that they did not have confidence in her leadership after taking part in the secret ballot yesterday evening in Westminster, which saw a 100 per cent turn-out.
Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, announced the results at 9pm at the end of a day of high drama in Parliament which saw Mrs May clash with Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn in tense exchanges during Prime Minister’s Questions.
In a statement released last night after the result was revealed, Mr Corbyn said: “Tonight’s vote makes no difference to the lives of our people. The Prime Minister has lost her majority in Parliament, her government is in chaos and she is unable to deliver a Brexit deal that works for the country and puts jobs and the economy first.
“That’s why she pulled the vote on her botched Brexit deal this week and is trying to avoid bringing it back to Parliament. It’s clear that she has not been able to negotiate the necessary changes in Europe.”
In an attempt to shore up the votes of any Conservative MPs who were wavering in their support for her, Mrs May made the unexpected concession that she would not lead the party into the next General Election, which is expected in 2022.
She was warned the announcement risked undermining her position, which was a fate that befell predecessors including Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron after they made similar admissions.
But Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the result showed the party wanted Mrs May to lead them through Brexit, adding: “No party leader ever has the support of all the members of their party.
“This is a clear statement by the parliamentary party they want her to go forward, they want her to lead us through Brexit.”
However, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable was adamant that Mrs May should put the decision to leave the Europetotal an Union back to the British people.
York-born Mr Cable said: “Having seen the Conservative backbenches will not support her deal the Prime Minister must change course. Her deal is doomed to defeat in the Commons, so she should show real leadership by putting this question back to the public in a People’s Vote.”
Anger over the backstop among Tory backbenchers and their Democratic Unionist Party allies was the main obstacle to Mrs May getting her Brexit deal through the House of Commons earlier this week.
Her decision to defer the vote sparked a new wave of letters of no confidence which pushed the VERDICT: Sir Graham Brady (centre), chairman of the 1922 Committee, announces the result of the ballot. FIGHTING HER CORNER: beyond the threshold of 48 needed to trigger a ballot.
Brexit-backing Tory MP Mark Francois claimed the result was “a devastating verdict” on Mrs May, and said: “Over a third of her MPs have said they don’t have confidence in her. That’s a devastating verdict.”
Mrs May was informed that she would face a ballot by Sir Graham in a phone call at 10.35pm on
Tuesday. She had just returned to 10, Downing Street from a day of travels which had taken her to The Hague, Berlin and Brussels for Brexit talks with EU leaders.
As day broke in Westminster yesterday, Sir Graham issued a press release announcing the threshold had been reached and a confidence vote would be held.
In a dramatic early morning statement outside the door to 10, Downing Street, Mrs May responded: “I will contest that vote with everything I’ve got.”
During terse exchanges in PMQs in the Commons yesterday, Mrs May claimed a government overseen by Mr Corbyn was a bigger “threat” to the economy than Brexit. Mr Corbyn repeatedly pushed the Prime Minister to hold a vote on her Brexit deal and said the “sorry saga” is frustrating businesses, workers and Tory MPs.
They want her to go forward, they want her to lead us through Brexit. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling hails the result of the no confidence vote.
PRIME MINISTER Theresa May had the support of her husband Philip from the House of Commons gallery as she went into Prime Minister’s Questions facing a vote of no confidence.
Tory MP Neil O’Brien tweeted: “What a great guy. We all need someone to be there for us no matter who we are.”
Fellow Conservative MP, Tracey Crouch, said what Mrs May needed most was “the unconditional love and support from the rock in your life”.
The Mays married in 1980 after meeting as students at Oxford University.