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| Theresa May vows to see Brexit plan through on day of turmoil | Theresa May vows to see Brexit plan through on day of turmoil |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Theresa May has vowed to stay in post to see through her Brexit plans after they were plunged into turmoil following the resignation of two cabinet ministers and threats of a no-confidence vote. | |
| The prime minister insisted that she was acting in the national interest, rather than in personal or partisan ones, warning that Britain faced a “path of deep and grave uncertainty” unless she was allowed to proceed. | |
| “Leadership is about taking the right decisions not the easy ones,” she said. “As prime minister, my job is to bring back a deal that delivers on the vote of the British people … Am I going to see this through? Yes.” | “Leadership is about taking the right decisions not the easy ones,” she said. “As prime minister, my job is to bring back a deal that delivers on the vote of the British people … Am I going to see this through? Yes.” |
| At a Downing Street press conference, May, a cricket fan, was asked at what stage she would resign as captain of the team. She replied: “You might recall that one of my cricketing heroes was always Geoffrey Boycott, and what do you know about Geoffrey Boycott? He stuck to it and he got the runs in the end.” | |
| May was still reeling from the string of resignations and the threat of an attempted coup as Brexiter MPs submitted letters of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady, chair of the backbench 1922 Committee. | |
| Her Brexit deal, revealed on Wednesday after a tense cabinet meeting, triggered the resignations of the Brexit secretary, Dominic Raab, the work and pensions secretary, Esther McVey, and a handful of junior ministers and government aides. | Her Brexit deal, revealed on Wednesday after a tense cabinet meeting, triggered the resignations of the Brexit secretary, Dominic Raab, the work and pensions secretary, Esther McVey, and a handful of junior ministers and government aides. |
| The prime minister was asked whether she was in denial over the fact that her Brexit deal was likely to struggle to make it through the House of Commons, with MPs from both wings of her party promising to vote it down. | The prime minister was asked whether she was in denial over the fact that her Brexit deal was likely to struggle to make it through the House of Commons, with MPs from both wings of her party promising to vote it down. |
| She replied: “Their job will be to look at that deal and consider the interests of constituents … MPs from across my party will look at that deal and recognise the importance of delivering on the vote of British people.” | She replied: “Their job will be to look at that deal and consider the interests of constituents … MPs from across my party will look at that deal and recognise the importance of delivering on the vote of British people.” |
| May acknowledged that striking the agreement had involved “difficult and sometimes uncomfortable decisions”, and that some were unhappy with the compromises that had been struck. | |
| But she added: “We can only secure it if we unite behind the agreement reached in cabinet yesterday. If we do not move forward with that agreement, nobody can know for sure the consequences that will follow. | But she added: “We can only secure it if we unite behind the agreement reached in cabinet yesterday. If we do not move forward with that agreement, nobody can know for sure the consequences that will follow. |
| “It will be to take a path of deep and grave uncertainty when the British people just want us to get on with it. They are looking to the Conservative party to deliver.” | “It will be to take a path of deep and grave uncertainty when the British people just want us to get on with it. They are looking to the Conservative party to deliver.” |
| She said she understood that some MPs felt “uncomfortable” about the backstop issue but stressed there was no deal that could be passed with the EU without one. And she highlighted that none of her critics had produced any alternative proposals that both delivered on referendum promises and kept the Irish border open. | She said she understood that some MPs felt “uncomfortable” about the backstop issue but stressed there was no deal that could be passed with the EU without one. And she highlighted that none of her critics had produced any alternative proposals that both delivered on referendum promises and kept the Irish border open. |
| May began her press conference by saying that serving as prime minister was an honour and a privilege but “also a heavy responsibility”, adding: “That is true at any time but especially when the stakes are so high.” | May began her press conference by saying that serving as prime minister was an honour and a privilege but “also a heavy responsibility”, adding: “That is true at any time but especially when the stakes are so high.” |
| She insisted that she was working in the national interest and not the Tory party’s or her own, but said that she did not “judge harshly” those ministers who had left government but that she believed “with every fibre” of her being that she was delivering the best deal available. | She insisted that she was working in the national interest and not the Tory party’s or her own, but said that she did not “judge harshly” those ministers who had left government but that she believed “with every fibre” of her being that she was delivering the best deal available. |
| The environment secretary, Michael Gove, is understood to be considering an offer to become the next Brexit secretary but to have said that he would only accept if he could renegotiate the terms of the prime minister’s withdrawal plans. | The environment secretary, Michael Gove, is understood to be considering an offer to become the next Brexit secretary but to have said that he would only accept if he could renegotiate the terms of the prime minister’s withdrawal plans. |
| Brexiters Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, and Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary, who was thought to have been trying to persuade May to give MPs a free vote on the deal, were also believed to be considering their positions. | Brexiters Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, and Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary, who was thought to have been trying to persuade May to give MPs a free vote on the deal, were also believed to be considering their positions. |
| There was pressure from MPs too as leading Brexiter Jacob Rees-Mogg called for a vote of no confidence, while up to a dozen of his allies revealed they had submitted letters to Brady, who needs 48 to trigger a vote. | There was pressure from MPs too as leading Brexiter Jacob Rees-Mogg called for a vote of no confidence, while up to a dozen of his allies revealed they had submitted letters to Brady, who needs 48 to trigger a vote. |
| Forty-eight Conservative MPs would need to back a no-confidence vote in Theresa May to trigger a leadership contest, according to party rules. | Forty-eight Conservative MPs would need to back a no-confidence vote in Theresa May to trigger a leadership contest, according to party rules. |
| There are two ways a contest can be triggered, most obviously if the leader of the party resigns. If they do not, 15% of Conservative MPs must write to the chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tories. With the party’s current crop of 317 MPs, 48 would be needed. | There are two ways a contest can be triggered, most obviously if the leader of the party resigns. If they do not, 15% of Conservative MPs must write to the chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tories. With the party’s current crop of 317 MPs, 48 would be needed. |
| After David Cameron announced his resignation, five Tory MPs stood for the leadership. Unlike Labour party rules, under which candidates go to a ballot of members as long as they have the support of 15% of the party’s MPs, Conservative candidates are whittled down to a final two before party members have their say. | After David Cameron announced his resignation, five Tory MPs stood for the leadership. Unlike Labour party rules, under which candidates go to a ballot of members as long as they have the support of 15% of the party’s MPs, Conservative candidates are whittled down to a final two before party members have their say. |
| The ballot is based on “one member, one vote”, but in 2016 one of the final two candidates, Andrea Leadsom, withdrew from the race after a damaging interview with the Times about the fact that May did not have children. Her withdrawal meant May was made party leader without having been elected by members. | The ballot is based on “one member, one vote”, but in 2016 one of the final two candidates, Andrea Leadsom, withdrew from the race after a damaging interview with the Times about the fact that May did not have children. Her withdrawal meant May was made party leader without having been elected by members. |
| During testy exchanges in the House of Commons earlier, May insisted she had clinched the best Brexit deal possible, but conceded that “difficult choices” had been made and that she “shared concerns” that the UK could be locked into the backstop arrangement. | During testy exchanges in the House of Commons earlier, May insisted she had clinched the best Brexit deal possible, but conceded that “difficult choices” had been made and that she “shared concerns” that the UK could be locked into the backstop arrangement. |
| In a plea to MPs to back her, she said that delivering the deal was “in the national interest” and that any move by MPs to block it would take negotiators “back to square one, more uncertainty, more division”. | In a plea to MPs to back her, she said that delivering the deal was “in the national interest” and that any move by MPs to block it would take negotiators “back to square one, more uncertainty, more division”. |
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