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May could offer to stand down before election to win support in confidence vote – politics live | May could offer to stand down before election to win support in confidence vote – politics live |
(35 minutes later) | |
If it all goes wrong for Theresa May tonight, Ed Miliband has some helpful career advice ... | |
.@theresa_may If it goes wrong tonight I can promise you a bright future in podcasting... | |
Another answer to a question from a reader. | |
Is it now not possible for Labour to push for a no-confidence vote? Surely that would be "no confidence" in the government, rather than the leader of the Tory party? How does it usually work and what are the likely routes the opposition might take? Yes - I know we are probably in uncharted waters. | |
It is easy for Labour to trigger a no confidence debate. They just table a motion of no confidence, and by convention it has to be debated fairly soon. (The leader of the opposition can do this, but other opposition parties cannot table no confidence motions that then have to be debated.) | |
What’s holding Labour back is not that this would be difficult to do; it is that the government would probably win (and Jeremy Corbyn would then be under pressure to actively back a second referendum, but that’s another issue.) | |
It is a mistake to think that Tory MPs who would back a no confidence motion in Theresa May as PM would back a no confidence motion in the government. They won’t. They want a Tory government - just under a different leader. | |
Michael Gove, the environment secretary, has said he expected Theresa May to win the vote “handsomely”. He said: | |
I think the prime minister will win tonight and she will win handsomely. I regret that a leadership contest has been triggered, but I respect my colleagues. | |
I know that everyone’s made their decision after careful thought. | |
The one thing I would ask every Conservative MP to do is to ponder before they cast their vote this evening: If we don’t support the prime minister, then we risk derailing or diluting Brexit. | |
If we do support the prime minister we can honour the mandate that the British people have given us. | |
It is notable that the language Gove, a Brexiter, is using about the MPs who have triggered the no confidence vote is notably more conciliatory than the language used by Philip Hammond, the remain-voting chancellor. (See 1.56pm.) | |
This is from Hugh Bennett, from the Guido Fawkes website. | |
Ballot boxes spotted on the move in parliament pic.twitter.com/CW1Q9D5goj | |
My colleague Matthew Weaver, who has been tracking the statements that Tory MPs have been making on Twitter about how they will vote tonight, says 137 of them have now declared for the prime minister. | My colleague Matthew Weaver, who has been tracking the statements that Tory MPs have been making on Twitter about how they will vote tonight, says 137 of them have now declared for the prime minister. |
Confidence vote: May's opponents and supporters in the Tory party | Confidence vote: May's opponents and supporters in the Tory party |
And he puts the number of Tory MPs who have publicly declared against May at 28. | And he puts the number of Tory MPs who have publicly declared against May at 28. |
Philip Hammond, the chancellor, has described those Tories trying to remove Theresa May as “extremists” pushing for a no-deal Brexit. He told Sky News: | Philip Hammond, the chancellor, has described those Tories trying to remove Theresa May as “extremists” pushing for a no-deal Brexit. He told Sky News: |
I’m very clear that the prime minister will have the support of the great majority of parliamentary colleagues. And I think what this vote today will do is flush out the extremists who are trying to advance a particular agenda which would really not be in the interests of the British people or the British economy. Leaving the European Union without a deal would be bad for Britain. | I’m very clear that the prime minister will have the support of the great majority of parliamentary colleagues. And I think what this vote today will do is flush out the extremists who are trying to advance a particular agenda which would really not be in the interests of the British people or the British economy. Leaving the European Union without a deal would be bad for Britain. |
Since our last update another 15 Tory MPs have declared they will be voting for May tonight taking the running total to 136 (and counting). She needs just 22 more to win. | Since our last update another 15 Tory MPs have declared they will be voting for May tonight taking the running total to 136 (and counting). She needs just 22 more to win. |
Here’s the latest batch: | Here’s the latest batch: |
Gillian Keegan | Gillian Keegan |
Heather Wheeler | Heather Wheeler |
Richard Graham | Richard Graham |
Richard Benyon | Richard Benyon |
Mark Pawsey | Mark Pawsey |
Chris Philp | Chris Philp |
Kemi Badenoch | Kemi Badenoch |
Ken Clarke | Ken Clarke |
David Rutley | David Rutley |
Ben Wallace | Ben Wallace |
Garry Streeter | Garry Streeter |
Kwasi Kwarteng | Kwasi Kwarteng |
Chole Smith | Chole Smith |
Nusrat Ghani | Nusrat Ghani |
Lucy Frazer | Lucy Frazer |
Confidence vote: May's opponents and supporters in the Tory party | Confidence vote: May's opponents and supporters in the Tory party |
Can we expect an intervention by the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, later today? | Can we expect an intervention by the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, later today? |
The Irish PM, Leo Varadkar, revealed in the Dáil that he would be talking to him to discuss what assurances he can give May. He said: | The Irish PM, Leo Varadkar, revealed in the Dáil that he would be talking to him to discuss what assurances he can give May. He said: |
I’ll be taking a call with President Juncker later on today to see what assurances we can give the United Kingdom parliament that might assist them to ratify the withdrawal agreement. | I’ll be taking a call with President Juncker later on today to see what assurances we can give the United Kingdom parliament that might assist them to ratify the withdrawal agreement. |
He reiterated however that the substance of the deal could not be changed “including the substance of the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland”. | He reiterated however that the substance of the deal could not be changed “including the substance of the protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland”. |
Another question. | Another question. |
Hello Andrew, Is this vote secret? If it is do you think that will effect the result? | Hello Andrew, Is this vote secret? If it is do you think that will effect the result? |
Yes, more or less. See 10.30am for more. | Yes, more or less. See 10.30am for more. |
At the post PMQs briefing, asked how Theresa May was dealing with the stress, the Downing Street source said: | At the post PMQs briefing, asked how Theresa May was dealing with the stress, the Downing Street source said: |
A lot of people have talked about her resilience in different situations and I think we have seen that again today. As ever, she is determined and focused. | A lot of people have talked about her resilience in different situations and I think we have seen that again today. As ever, she is determined and focused. |