Theresa May has reportedly been given until 4pm to agree a ‘roadmap’ for stepping down as Tory leader or have a timetable imposed upon her by MPs furious that she is damaging the party by clinging on.
There is widespread anger in Conservative ranks after the Prime Minister’s deputy David Lidington admitted yesterday that the UK would have to take part in the May 23 vote – with fears they face a drubbing from Nigel Farage’s Brexit party.
They want her to step down as party leader after the elections in 15 days time but remain as Prime Minister while her replacement is chosen in a summer leadership battle, the Telegraph reported.
The 4pm deadline marks the start of a meeting of the executive of the influential backbench 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, which is said to be split on whether party rules should be changed to facilitate the PM’s removal now.
But with a new summer deadline for Brexit at the earliest, Downing Street is said to be planning for the PM to hang on until September in the hope that she can deliver it before stepping aside, according to the Times.
A Tory grassroots revolt has been threatened next month if she does not set out specifics on when she will pack her bags and leave Downing Street.
Senior Tory activists will consider the question of Mrs May’s leadership at an emergency meeting of association chairmen – set for Saturday, June 15.
But any confidence vote is non-binding and without party rules being changed Mps still have no way to force Mrs May out.
The treasurer of the 1922 Committee, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, said he would back a grass roots bid to force Mrs May out with a no-confidence vote next month if she did not go of her own volition.
When asked what should happen if Mrs May failed to set out her own timetable for departure, he said: ‘It begins to get much more messy.