I fight to win – Margaret Thatcher
THERESA May is not the first Conservative leader to vow to fight to save her position in the face of rebellious MPs.
Margaret Thatcher famously declared “I fight on, I fight to win” as she battled a challenge from Michael Heseltine in 1990, only to stand down after senior Tories advised her she was heading for defeat.
Lady Thatcher is the only Prime Minister to be removed from office by a party leadership ballot among her own MPs.
Under the different rules in place in 1990, Mrs Thatcher defeated Mr Heseltine by 204 to 152 in a vote of Tory MPs after he challenged her position.
But she failed to achieve the 15% margin of victory to prevent a second-round ballot. Despite her defiant statement that she would fight on, she withdrew from the contest two days later after a succession of Cabinet ministers told her they thought she would lose. Her departure allowed John Major to come through and defeat Mr Heseltine for the leadership.
Mr Major himself called a “back-meor-sack-me” contest in 1995, resigning as leader to fight for the job after coming under pressure from rebels over Europe.
He easily saw off his challenger John Redwood by 218 votes to 89.