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Backbenchers in Theresa May’s Conservative Party will decide today on whether to allow another vote of no confidence in her leadership, in a move that could set up the final days of the embattled prime minister’s tenure.
MP Nigel Evans told CNN that the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs will discuss changing the party’s rules to allow for a second challenge against May in the space of a few months.
Currently rules state that a Conservative leader cannot be challenged from within their party for one year after surviving a vote, and May won an earlier motion of no confidence in December.
“18 Conservative MPs will meet today … and we will decide whether we want to change the rules or not,” Evans said.
“But we’ll see because we had a vote a few weeks ago and we decided rather narrowly not to change the rules but a couple of things have happened since then. The talks between the Conservative Party and the Labour Party have broken down completely. And of course the Prime Minster has decided to bring forward the Withdrawal Agreement bill early in June….the forecast is not looking particularly good for that,” he added.
A spokesperson for Nigel Evans, who is the Joint Executive Secretary of the 1922 Committee, said he is in favor of changing the rules.
If the rules are changed, it would likely prompt an almost immediate challenge against May, in an effort to force her out.
