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Theresa May would fight any no-confidence vote, says No 10 – politics live Theresa May would fight any no-confidence vote, says No 10 – politics live
(35 minutes later)
The table-bangers are out in force for the prime minister, the BBC’s Iain Watson and Ross Hawkins report.
PM walks in to the 22 to loud banging of tables
Pm enters 1922 to raucous banging of tables. Says to journalists - with a smile - wonder what you’re doing here
All things considered, May seemed surprisingly confident. She did not say anything especially new or revealing about the Chequers plan, and Labour MPs were very critical, suggesting that its shelf life may turn out to be very limited. (The EU will not accept it without changes anyway but, even if they were to, Brexiter opposition means May would need opposition support to get it through the Commons - which on the basis of what is being said today, she does not have.)
Tory Brexiters were more critical of May’s plan than they have been of anything she has said or done in the past. But the complaints were coming from the “usual suspects”, and they attacked her plan, not her leadership. And we did not seen mainstream, middle-of-the-road Tory heavyweights - swing voters, so to speak - denouncing her. She won’t be chalking up this afternoon as a triumph, but it could have been a lot worse.
She is now addressing the 1922 committee. That is a private meeting, and so the dynamics of that will be different. Some MPs feel that it is disloyal to criticise in public, but feel less inhibited about doing so in private. But at 1922 meetings loyalists can drown out their opponents (literally - these are the meetings where they bang the desks enthusiastically), and presumably May’s supporters are trying to orchestrate that sort of reception for her tonight.
Sir Peter Bottomley, a Conservative, tells May she has the “overwhelming support” of her party and MPs in the Commons.
May welcomes what he says.
And that’s the end of May’s statement. John Bercow says 95 backbenchers asked questions.
Theresa May is almost certainly not planning to appoint Jacob Rees-Mogg as foreign secretary. But if she were to try, he would say no, ITV’s Carl Dinnen reports.
NEW Jacob Rees Mogg tells me he would certainly not accept the post of Foreign Secretary on the basis of having to defend the Chequers deal.
Conor Burns, who was Boris Johnson’s parliamentary private secretary, has told Radio 4’s PM programme that there could be more ministerial resignations, the Independent’s Ashley Cowburn reports.
Boris Johnson's PPS Conor Burns tells Radio 4 it's "certainly possible" more resignations will follow the foreign secretary.
ITV’s Robert Peston reckons Sir Graham Brady hasn’t (yet?) received the 48 letters that would trigger a confidence vote.ITV’s Robert Peston reckons Sir Graham Brady hasn’t (yet?) received the 48 letters that would trigger a confidence vote.
For what it's worth, I am pretty sure crucial 48 letters from Tory MPs calling for a vote of confidence in @theresa_may's leadership have NOT been received by @Graham__Brady, chair of 1922 Tory backbench committee. And there won't be any announcement of a confidence vote tonightFor what it's worth, I am pretty sure crucial 48 letters from Tory MPs calling for a vote of confidence in @theresa_may's leadership have NOT been received by @Graham__Brady, chair of 1922 Tory backbench committee. And there won't be any announcement of a confidence vote tonight
The Conservative Brexiter Nigel Evans asks if there is anything in the Chequers plan that could inhibit a trade deal with the US.The Conservative Brexiter Nigel Evans asks if there is anything in the Chequers plan that could inhibit a trade deal with the US.
May says, in any trade deal, the UK must decide what standards it wants to comply with.May says, in any trade deal, the UK must decide what standards it wants to comply with.
In the Commons Labour’s Kevin Brennan asked May about the Kuenssberg 48 letters tweet. May did not respond directly, and just said she was getting on with her job.In the Commons Labour’s Kevin Brennan asked May about the Kuenssberg 48 letters tweet. May did not respond directly, and just said she was getting on with her job.
There are rumours that 48 Tory MPs have now signed letters asking for no confidence vote in Theresa May, the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg reports. There are rumours that 48 Tory MPs have now signed letters asking for a no-confidence vote on Theresa May, the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg reports.
Whispers Tory MP s have reached the magic number of the 48 letters required to force a confidence vote - no way of knowing yet if true - meeting at 5.30Whispers Tory MP s have reached the magic number of the 48 letters required to force a confidence vote - no way of knowing yet if true - meeting at 5.30
The only person who knows for sure will be Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee. The only person who knows for sure will be Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 Committee.
This procedure was last used when Tory MPs triggered a no confidence vote in Iain Duncan Smith in 2003. Duncan Smith lost. This procedure was last used when Tory MPs triggered a no-confidence vote against Iain Duncan Smith in 2003. Duncan Smith lost.
If Brady has got the 48 letters, you would expect him to announce a contest quite quickly, but not necessarily immediately. He never discusses exactly how the process works, but one issue might be the need to check that people who submitted letters some time ago still want a contest.If Brady has got the 48 letters, you would expect him to announce a contest quite quickly, but not necessarily immediately. He never discusses exactly how the process works, but one issue might be the need to check that people who submitted letters some time ago still want a contest.
The Yorkshire Post’s Arj Singh says he has been told the 1922 committee is not yet organising a confidence vote. The Yorkshire Post’s Arj Singh says he has been told the 1922 Committee is not yet organising a confidence vote.
1922 Committee not yet organising a confidence vote, which they have to do once the 48 letters threshold is reached. It can take "one or two days" to put in place.1922 Committee not yet organising a confidence vote, which they have to do once the 48 letters threshold is reached. It can take "one or two days" to put in place.
But it is possible that that there could be a link between Boris Johnson resigning and some letters going in - either because some Tories did not want to trigger a vote until they knew Johnson was available, or because Johnson was holding off resigning until he knew sufficient letters had been submitted. But it is possible that there could be a link between Boris Johnson resigning and some letters going in – either because some Tories did not want to trigger a vote until they knew Johnson was available, or because Johnson was holding off resigning until he knew sufficient letters had been submitted.
In the Commons Labour’s Stephen Kinnock says May’s customs plan would be a bureaucratic nightmare. He says remaining in the EEA (European Economic Area) would be much simpler. Why doesn’t May just choose that option?In the Commons Labour’s Stephen Kinnock says May’s customs plan would be a bureaucratic nightmare. He says remaining in the EEA (European Economic Area) would be much simpler. Why doesn’t May just choose that option?
May says Kinnock has forgotten that the Commons voted overwhelmingly against staying in the EEA.May says Kinnock has forgotten that the Commons voted overwhelmingly against staying in the EEA.
And here is Patrick Wintour, the Guardian’s diplomatic editor, on Boris Johnson.
Boris Johnson has resigned as Theresa May thanks him for his work. He was due to host the West Balkans Summit in London dedicated to helping the Balkan states prepare for EU membership through better governance. Not sure UK has much to teach anyone on good governance.
Hosting the West Balkans summit was the foreign office's big symbolic push to show its commitment to Europe after Brexit. Unfortunately typical of his stewardship of the foreign office that machinations over Brexit undid this ambition.
Here is my colleague Martin Kettle’s take on Boris Johnson’s resignation.
And here is how it starts.
Boris Johnson’s resignation turns Theresa May’s manic Monday from a crisis about Brexit policy into a crisis about the Conservative leadership. The resignation is not about the former. It is about the latter. David Davis resigned overnight because he disagreed with May’s policy on customs and trade links with Europe. Johnson has now followed him because he wants to become prime minister. Davis resigned on an issue of principle; Johnson resigned on an issue of self-interest.
Labour’s Wes Streeting says there is no majority in the Commonsn for the Chequers deal. “It is dead.” EU leaders won’t take it seriously because it won’t get through parliament. He says it may deliver a soft Brexit for goods, but it delivers a hard Brexit for services.
May says she is proposing what is best for the UK.
Labour’s Mary Creagh asks if May has appointed a new foreign secretary.
May says she has been in the chamber for most of the time since Boris Johnson resigned. She will appoint a successor in due course, she says.
In the Commons John Baron, a Conservative, asks May to accept that asking other countries to comply with EU standards on goods will make it harder to agree trade deals.
May says slashing standards may be a theoretical option, but the Commons would not necessarily want to do this. She says the government has said it will maintain standards.
Downing Street has confirmed that Theresa May will seek to fight to keep her job if Tory MPs trigger a no confidence vote, my colleague Heather Stewart reports.
Downing Street source, asked if May would contest any vote of no confidence. "Yes".
In the Commons Stephen Hammond, one of the leading Tory pro-Europeans, says businesses in his constituency will welcome what the cabinet decided.
John Whittingdale, the Brexiter Conservative former culture secretary, has congratulated Boris Johnson, David Davis and Steve Baker on their stance.
Enormous act of bravery and principle by Boris, DD and Steve. I and 17.4m people salute you
Here are two blogs on the Boris Johnson resignation that are worth readin
The BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg says Boris Johnson’s resignation may be followed by others.
A well-connected source has just told me that it could be more serious than that.
They told me it is a concerted push to force the prime minister to drop her Chequers’ compromise.
They said: “If she doesn’t drop Chequers there will be another, then another, then another, then another”.
Gary Gibbon at Channel 4 News says Number 10 expects a leadership challenge.
Mr Johnson took a while to make his mind up, arguably many months. It’s not the most dignified resignation perhaps, waiting for Mr Davis to take the lead and then pondering the pluses and minuses of a move now.
No. 10 had calculated that it could face these two resignations and might be able to survive them. But it can’t be sure. It can be reasonably sure now that an attempt on the PM’s leadership will be made. Forty-eight MPs need to send in letters demanding a vote of no confidence. That now looks very plausible.
Andrea Jenkyns, a Tory Brexiter, says she has received hundreds of emails form people disappointed by the Chequers plan. How can she restore faith in politics.
May says she is delivering what people wanted: taking back control of laws, immigration and money, pulling the UK out of the common agriculture policy and the common fisheries policy and allowing the UK to negotiate trade deals.