After putting its no-confidence motion on hold last week after Theresa May ran scared from putting her Brexit deal to a vote by MPs, Labour intends to table a no-confidence motion if she fails to set a vote today for the ‘meaningful vote’ in the House of Commons.
However, this motion will be against the May personally as Prime Minister, not the official motion against the whole government itself that would trigger the 14-day clock under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act (FTPA).
Reports have been circulating of talks between Labour and the DUP about their support for a no-confidence motion, but if this first vote is unsuccessful, more will follow.
If it is successful, Labour can choose to move onto the full motion using the wording specified in the FTPA. There is no limit under the FTPA to how many or how frequently no-confidence votes can be tabled.
There will be scrambling among Tory whips and no holds will be barred as the government tries desperately to defeat or avoid the motion – or May will again capitulate and name a date to avoid the vote for now.
May is scheduled to speak in the Commons at 3.30pm today.
SKWAWKBOX comment:
While this is not the formal motion that could bring down the government, it’s an intelligent move by Labour to both test the water and focus support for the full motion at a time of Corbyn’s choosing.
Labour is pushing along every avenue to bring down the government – but doing so cleverly.
If this motion passes it widens the path to a vote of no confidence in the government itself under the FTPA – and if it doesn’t, it exposes the idiocy or agenda of the centrists who have been pushing for an immediate FTPA no-confidence motion – as well as forcing right-wing Tory MPs to explain why they back May as Prime Minister when they have no confidence in her as leader.
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Welll Waddda yahhh know
“Brexit deal vote to take place in week of 14 January, May says –”
Guardian headlines @ 16.29
I guess that will mean that the vote will take place at the end of that week. In the week of the 14th sounds so much better than the 18th