THERESA May could face a new bid by her backbenchers to oust her after it emerged senior Conservatives are examining if party rules can be changed to allow Tory MPs to table more than one confidence motion a year.
Amid growing calls from hardline Eurosceptics angered at the Prime Minister’s failure to deliver Brexit as she promised on March 29, the influential 1922 Committee is looking at whether the rules which prevent a second challenge within 12 months can be altered.
According to reports members of the Committee’s ruling executive will discuss the matter at their first meeting when they return to Westminster on 23 April after the Easter recess.
The move emerged as two previous chairmen of the backbench Committee declared, in an article at the weekend, that the panel could alter the rules that prevent backbenchers from triggering another vote of no confidence in May until December.
Some Tory MPs have suggested that any rule change could not be brought in without the agreement of the Conservative Party board, which is led by Brandon Lewis, party chairman and an ally of May.
However, former MPs Michael Spicer and Archie Hamilton said it "was not the case" that either the party board or wider membership would have to be consulted.
“If MPs believe that this rule is an impediment to their proper functioning and responsibilities for the leadership of the party, it is quite within their right to change these provisions,” they wrote in the Sunday Telegraph.
“Conservative MPs are responsible for their party. If they wish a change to these rules there is nothing standing in their way.”
May won a previous vote in December by 200 votes to 117 but as a result of the high number voting against her she suffered a major blow to her authority.
A senior Tory said: “There is a real push to get this sorted. She cannot be allowed to go on.”
Sir Graham Brady, the current chairman of the 1922 Committee, confirmed: “It is my understanding that the rules could in future be changed by the agreement of the 1922 executive.”
He added that it was “less certain that it would be possible to change the rules during the current period of grace which was initiated with the triggering of a confidence vote on December 12 last year.”
One report yesterday suggested Sir Graham was seeking legal advice on whether a retrospective attempt to scrap the 12 month grace period could be challenged in the courts.
May has insisted she will remain as Tory leader and Prime Minister until the end of the withdrawal stage of the Brexit process. However, it is unclear when this will happen.
The divorce deal she struck with European leaders has suffered three major defeats in the Commons and is now stuck in a parliamentary deadlock. Last week the leaders of the 27 other EU nations gave the UK more time to resolve the issue with a new delay to Brexit until 31 October.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel