Theresa May vows to fight on amid cabinet resignations and calls to quit
A defiant Theresa May vowed to fight any challenge to her leadership after she faced a host of ministerial resignations and calls for her to quit.
On yet another day of high drama in Westminster, Brexit secretary Dominic Raab resigned his position in protest at May’s draft exit deal with Brussels, and was soon followed by work and pensions secretary Esther McVey.
Five more junior ministers and ministerial aides also quit, adding to the sense the government was on the verge of collapse.
Leading Brexiter Jacob Rees-Mogg went public with a call for May to go, and tried to trigger a vote of no confidence in the prime minister.
But at just before 5.30pm, May told reporters she was going nowhere as she launched a strong defence of her much-criticised Brexit deal.
Reflecting on the resignations during a press conference in Downing Street, May said: “I am sorry that they have chosen to leave the government and I thank them for their service.
“I believe with every fibre of my being that the course I have set out is the right one for our country.”
Conservative party rules dictate a vote of confidence in the party leader is carried out when 15 percent of MPs – 48 in this case – send a letter calling for a ballot to the chair of the backbench 1922 committee.
Rees-Mogg announced he had submitted his letter after a meeting of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of Tories yesterday afternoon.
He denied suggestions he was leading a “coup” against the Prime Minister, adding: “What we need is a leader who will say to the European Union it is impossible to divide up the United Kingdom, it’s impossible to agree to a situation where we have a perpetual customs union, it’s impossible to pay £39billion of taxpayers’ money for a few promises which was meant to be £39billion for implementation of a deal.”
Former Brexit minister Steve Baker revealed he too had put in a letter, as had Tory MP Simon Clarke.
Not all members of the ERG supported ousting May, with Tory veteran Sir Desmond Swayne confirming he had not put a letter in.