The Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has tabled a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister Theresa May – a motion which could spell the end of Theresa May’s premiership.
Speaking in the House of Commons a few minutes ago, the Labour leader slammed the Prime Minister for delaying the meaningful vote on her Brexit deal until January 14th next year.
Then, to the audible shock of the House, Mr Corbyn followed his statement by saying that “the only way I can think of of ensuring a vote takes place this week” was to table a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister.
The motion states that:
“This house has no confidence in the Prime Minister due to her failure to allow to House of Commons to have a meaningful vote straight away on the withdrawal agreement and framework for future relationships between the UK and the European Union – and that will be tabled immediately Mr Speaker.”
Following Mr Corbyn’s announcement, the Prime Minister appeared to storm out of the House of Commons:
It is unacceptable for the country to wait another month before Parliament has the chance to vote on Theresa May's botched deal.
Therefore I have tabled a motion of no confidence in the PM this evening, so Parliament can take back control. #NoConfidence pic.twitter.com/IRXeaScpZm
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) December 17, 2018
The government now has to authorise time to debate and vote on the motion – which, technically, they could refuse.
If Mrs May refuses to allow the vote to go ahead, it would show that the government were worried about losing it – clearly indicating that the Theresa May doesn’t even have confidence in herself.
However, if she does allow the vote to go ahead, Mrs May faces the prospect of a large rebellion from MPs within her own party who also voted against her in last week’s internal Conservative Party motion of no confidence.
Furthermore, Labour sources are indicating that if the government does not allow time for the vote, it will escalate the situation to a full no confidence motion in the government as a whole – a move which, if Mrs May lost, would bring down the government entirely.
Am told Labour chief whip Nick Brown told PLP if the government doesn’t grant time for Jeremy Corbyn’s no confidence motion in Theresa May then Labour will escalate: no confidence motion in government as a whole under Fixed Term Parliaments Act. That has to be granted time
— Nicholas Watt (@nicholaswatt) December 17, 2018
Earlier today, Labour announced that they would table a full motion of no confidence against the government if a date for a vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal was not announced immediately.
Following this, Theresa May capitulated and announced that a vote would be held on January 14th next year.
However, the Labour leadership has now deemed this month-long delay unacceptable – resulting in Mr Corbyn’s announcement of the motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister.
