Prime Minister Theresa May faces new Tory leadership vote

Under current party rules, MPs cannot call for a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister as they’re only allowed one a year – and that was used up last December.

READ MORE: Anger with Theresa May sees Tory voters and councillors stop voting Tory

However, the representatives of the grassroots can organise a non-binding vote, if more than 65 local associations demand a meeting.

A petition has been signed by more than 70. It states: “We no longer feel that Mrs May is the right person to continue as prime minister to lead us forward in the [Brexit] negotiations.

“We therefore, with great reluctance, ask that she considers her position and resigns, to allow the Conservative Party to choose another leader, and the country to move forward and negotiate our exit from the EU.”

The vote will be open to the 800 highest-ranking officers, including those chairing local associations.

Dinah Glover, chairwoman of the London East Area Tories, said there was “despair in the party”.

She told the BBC: “I’m afraid the prime minister is conducting negotiations in such a way that the party does not approve.”

READ MORE: Tory minister says EU citizens fleeing domestic abuse should go home

One senior local Tory member told the Today programme that May’s handling of Brexit meant members were on strike and would not campaign for the party before the local elections.

Carol Hart, a member of Derbyshire county council, told Today the decision had been made “with a very heavy heart”.

“But that fact is that people across the country, not just in Derbyshire, are all absolutely sick to death of the way this is going on, and it’s having a major impact on our reputation.

“We work as a group – we don’t always agree. But usually we talk behind closed doors, we do try and reach a compromise. You do have to compromise sometimes and I think it’s just such a big mess.”

It is believed to be the first time the local association procedure has been used.

A new poll suggested Boris Johnson would be the clear frontrunner in a Tory leadership election to replace Theresa May

Though symbolic, there are a number of Tory MPs who hope it will help force through changes to the formal leadership rules to allow them another opportunity to try and push May out of Number 10 this year.

The Tories face being wiped out in next week’s local elections in England.

Over the weekend, it was revealed that the party could lose hundreds of their councillors.

Meanwhile, in a new poll for the Conservative Home website, Boris Johnson has soared ahead in the battle to replace May.

He now has twice the support of his nearest rival among the party activists, with 33% backing him, compared to 14% for Dominic Raab, Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid follow the former Brexit secretary.

Conservative Home boss Paul Goodman said of Boris: “His resignation catapulted him to the front of the queue as the main Conservative opponent of Theresa May’s EU policy. And the worse she does, the more he thrives.”

The next leader will be chosen by a vote of all Tory members from a shortlist of two selected by the party’s MPs.

Any hope the Prime Minister may have had that her Brexit supporting MPs will come back to Parliament today in calmer, less confrontational mood were dashed yesterday morning. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Brexiteer Bill Cash, said: “How low can we sink with the prime minister making us crawl on our hands and knees, not only to the EU, but to Germany and France?”

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan condemned the article: “This kind of language is not helpful. It’s not the kind of language that our councillors, or frankly any normal people, would use.”