Source: Reuters
British Prime Minister Theresa May was fighting for survival on Friday after a draft divorce deal with the European Union provoked the resignations of senior ministers and mutiny in her party.
The 48 letters from Conservative lawmakers required to trigger a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Theresa May have been submitted according to unofficial BBC sources.
Steve Baker confirms his list does indeed suggest 48 letter threshold has been reached with maybe a dozen more - but he says impossible to know for sure because colleagues aren’t sometimes coy about what they have actually done
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) 16 November 2018
Scenarios include May’s deal ultimately winning approval; May losing her job; Britain leaving the bloc with no agreement; or even another referendum. To leave the EU on the terms of her deal, May would need to get the backing of about 320 of parliament’s 650 lawmakers. The deal is due to be discussed at an EU summit on Nov. 25. When 48 letters are submitted to the party’s so-called 1922 committee, she will face a leadership challenge.
Politicians, officials and diplomats in London openly questioned how long May had left as speculation swirled around London that a leadership challenge could come soon. Sky said government whips, who enforce discipline in the party, had been summoned to parliament as a challenge was close. If a confidence vote is called among her lawmakers, May would need a simple majority of the total votes in order to win.
Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington has called on MPs to give their support to the prime minister, predicting that she will "survive and thrive". He predicted that Theresa May would "decisively" win any vote of confidence against her.
"And she'd deserve to do so", he said.
