UK PM May's lawmakers trigger confidence vote in her leadership

By Kylie MacLellan and Guy Faulconbridge

 

Anti-Brexit protestor Steve Bray holds placards outside of the Houses of Parliament, in London, Britain, December 10, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville/Files

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Lawmakers in British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservative Party on Wednesday triggered a confidence vote in her leadership after Britain's planned divorce from the European Union was plunged into chaos.

 

With less than four months left until the United Kingdom is due to exit on March 29, the world's fifth largest economy was tipping towards crisis, opening up the prospect of a disorderly no-deal divorce or a reversal of Brexit through a referendum.

 

Graham Brady, the chairman of the party's so-called 1922 committee, said the threshold of 15 percent of the parliamentary Conservative Party seeking a confidence vote had been reached.

 

"The threshold of 15 percent of the parliamentary party seeking a vote of confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party has been exceeded," Brady said.

 

A ballot will be held between 1800 and 2000 on Wednesday in a room at the House of Commons and an announcement made as soon as possible afterwards, he said.

 

"The votes will be counted immediately afterwards and an announcement will be made a soon as possible in the evening," Brady said.

 

Brexit is Britain's most significant political and economic decision since World War Two though pro-Europeans fear it will divide the West as it grapples with the presidency of Donald Trump and growing assertiveness from Russia and China.

 

The ultimate outcome will shape Britain's $2.8 trillion economy, have far reaching consequences for the unity of the United Kingdom and determine whether London can keep its place as one of the top two global financial centres.

 

May could be toppled if 158 of her 315 lawmakers vote against her.

 

(Editing by Kate Holton)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-12-12

Outrageous! There was a vote in 2016 that installed TM as PM. Any attempt to dethrone her is a clear attempt to subvert the will of the people. 

From @davidschneider on Twitter:

 

Next Tory leader, latest odds:

 

The one who lied on a bus  6-1

The one who lied about impact assessments 8-1

The one who lied to parliament and resigned 10-1

The one who lied and didn't resign 15-1

The one who destroyed the NHS 20-1

The one who didn't know we were an island 8-1

6 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

From @davidschneider on Twitter:

 

Next Tory leader, latest odds:

 

The one who lied on a bus  6-1

The one who lied about impact assessments 8-1

The one who lied to parliament and resigned 10-1

The one who lied and didn't resign 15-1

The one who destroyed the NHS 20-1

The one who didn't know we were an island 8-1

You are jumping the gun...

 

She has only to say the EU deal is dead and lets put all options to a referendum and she will be safe Mogg, Johnson and few others who will be no lose to the Tory party will no doubt throw their toys out the pram and join Farage in forming UKIP Mk2.

It was about time.

Now they can try another leader who will soon find out that he/she will not be able to deliver any better Brexit.

And then hopefully there will be another vote of confidence and another leader and another vote and another leader.

If they do this a couple of times maybe the opposing sides of the Tories will finally realize that nobody will be able to find a solution which everybody likes 100%. They have to compromise even if that word seems to be unknown to many of them.

 

It would be funny if the whole process wouldn't be so crucial and time critical to the UK and EU.

If there is no-confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party should not the confidence vote be for the government as well?  If they chose the wrong person to lead them then obviously the government is at fault and should fall.

37 minutes ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

If there is no-confidence in the leader of the Conservative Party should not the confidence vote be for the government as well?  If they chose the wrong person to lead them then obviously the government is at fault and should fall.

 

Not until the government fails in a major legislative objective or is so weak that it becomes incapable of doing anything (is the very simple way of describing the triggering process).

 

 

Edited December 12, 20187 yr by Enoon

No confidence letter from OP

You are jumping the gun...
 
She has only to say the EU deal is dead and lets put all options to a referendum and she will be safe Mogg, Johnson and few others who will be no lose to the Tory party will no doubt throw their toys out the pram and join Farage in forming UKIP Mk2.

So "all she has to do" is say that HER deal that SHE negotiated is dead and HER promise about not having another referendum is now out of the window. Yeah, that will show them.

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15 minutes ago, Topdoc said:

No confidence letter from OP

The penultimate paragraph - mentioning an alternative proposed deal, still on the table - is a bit of a relevation isn't it?

 

I do hope that if Mrs May falls she takes Mr Hammond with her. I suspect he is the moving force behind the desire to effectively "stay in at any price"

Edited December 12, 20187 yr by JAG

JRM & DD as either PM or brexit sec siuts me.

Boris can have northern Ireland ????

If they do this a couple of times maybe the opposing sides of the Tories will finally realize that nobody will be able to find a solution which everybody likes 100%. They have to compromise even if that word seems to be unknown to many of them.

That's the problem right there. Having the vote was all about deciding on a path and then going in that direction. By necessity that would mean that far from everybody would be happy. But this is life and this is the democratic process that was embarked upon. Either accept that not everyone will end up happy or don't have a binary vote. Too late. We did.

After the vote had Westminster just proceeded and simply concerned itself with enacting the vote, we wouldn't be in the mess we are in. Instead it has attempted to enact the vote while at the same time keeping all those who didn't vote that way happy. That was the impossible task it set itself.



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14 minutes ago, JAG said:

The penultimate paragraph - mentioning an alternative proposed deal, still on the table - is a bit of a relevation isn't it?

 

I do hope that if Mrs May falls she takes Mr Hammond with her. I suspect he is the moving force behind the desire to effectively "stay in at any price"

Not exactly a surprise - the EU has said that a trade agreement in the same model as Canada was an option...  but the UK wanted more ...  that likely takes things like financial services off the table since the financial services was based on adopting EU regulations more or less...

I just read this comment from one Guardian reader, wonderful!

 

"Whoa, Tories you made the decision about May two years ago, you can’t change it, that’s undemocratic."

 

 

My doctor scribbles better than that...

 

Say's a lot, letter dictated to his PA, possibly not even by him, "post it" with recipients name, he just scribbles "Dear Name" and signs along with other one hundred or so letters he has to sign.

Labour are coming,then you will see what a proper mess is.

1 minute ago, bomber said:

Labour are coming,then you will see what a proper mess is.

 

 

 

 

It couldn't happen.................... could it...........?

Looks like May is safe for the time being...

 

153 Tories have already nailed their colours to the mast, they support her, she only needs 5 more...

 

 

Quote

 

Laura Kuenssberg

 

✔@bbclaurak

 

 

Public numbers so far - 153 MP s have said they all back May - 33 day they will vote against

 

34

12:06 - 12 Dec 2018

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-46533245

 

62 people are talking about this

14 minutes ago, Basil B said:

 

My doctor scribbles better than that...

 

Say's a lot, letter dictated to his PA, possibly not even by him, "post it" with recipients name, he just scribbles "Dear Name" and signs along with other one hundred or so letters he has to sign.

Well, that's normal for any letter written using a word processing programme. The alternative is to write it in longhand but given that his handwriting is apparently worse than your doctors that probably wouldn't be a very good idea.

Quote

PM makes a rare joke. Calls Jeremy Corbyn the “inconstant gardener” and then follows up “someone will explain that to him later.” She seems remarkably cheery

I did not get it either... maybe she meant "incontinent"

 

(from PMQ's)

Edited December 12, 20187 yr by Basil B

I must say that Paterson's ante-penultimate paragraph is the first time I have seen anything - even in brief sketch form - that looks like a doable (ie practical & civilized) Brexit end result. 

 

Perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention. Perhaps I was so convinced of the ignorant idiocy of Brexit & its supporters that I wasn't listening. Well, we shall see ...

Quote

Harry Cole

 

✔@MrHarryCole

 

 

A large number of brexiteers just walked out en masse. Just before a Tory MP called them headbangers

 

32

12:37 - 12 Dec 2018

Good ridence to them...

 

 

 

 

2 minutes ago, evadgib said:

.

 

Is this a discussion board or a propaganda board ????

 

A post of something related with commentary is one thing, but 4 in a row without any commentary -- not exactly good form.  If they wanted their argument here - they should come and post here ... ????

21 minutes ago, evadgib said:

 

JRM is a dead ringer for Charles Hawtrey. Barbara Windsor for PM?

Edited December 12, 20187 yr by champers

25 minutes ago, bkkcanuck8 said:

Is this a discussion board or a propaganda board ????

 

A post of something related with commentary is one thing, but 4 in a row without any commentary -- not exactly good form.  If they wanted their argument here - they should come and post here ... ????

Brexiters just get shouted down by the 2016 silver medalists therefore it's easier to repost the views of like minded players currently making the news in UK instead of playing 'mini-me' at the wrong end of their coconut shy.

Here's one featuring JRM ????

 

Edited December 12, 20187 yr by evadgib

1 minute ago, evadgib said:

Brexiters just get shouted down by the 2016 silver medalists therefore it's easier to repost the views of like minded players currently making the news in UK instead of playing 'mini-me' at the wrong end of their coconut shy.

 

The thing is that for a discussion to exist, you have to have the person making their opinions known be available to respond in a back and forth manner.  They are not the ones posting their opinions.  It is more akin to plastering a bunch of signs up around with political propaganda on one side of the argument or another.  A better approach (if you believe and understand their viewpoints) for you to digest what they are saying and then making it part of your opinion.  You are at least here for people to argue with or against etc.  It is closer to political spam than a discussion when someone just clips images from other places and then over and over again posts them.  It is not even a humorous interlude.