Brexit news: Labour to table no-confidence motion in Theresa May if she refuses to name date for vote on her deal
The move would not be binding on the government if it were to lose a vote on Labour's motion
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Your support makes all the difference.Labour is set to table a motion of no confidence in Theresa May if she refuses to name a date for parliament to vote on her Brexit deal.
Jeremy Corbyn was to put the idea forward in the House of Commons on Monday, following the prime minister refusal to let MPs vote on the proposal.
The move could have a political impact on Ms May if a sizeable number of Tory MPs backed it, but it would not carry a legal obligation on Ms May to stand down or the government to hold an election.
Mr Corbyn has been under pressure to call a legally binding vote of no confidence on the whole government – which could trigger a general election – but so far has refused to.
Ms May scraped through an internal Conservative party confidence vote in her leadership last week, but more than 100 of her own MPs voted against her. She is under increasing pressure to makes plans for the expected defeat of her Brexit deal in January.
Labour sources indicated Mr Corbyn would make the move when Ms May comes to give her Commons statement on last week's talks at the European Council on her Brexit deal.
But they confirmed the move would not come under the auspices of the Fixed Term Parliament Act, which means for an election to happen the government must win a vote in the Commons by a two-thirds majority, or lose a vote of no confidence by a simple majority
Last week 117 Tory MPs voted against Ms May in an internal plot to remove her, but it is far from clear as to whether that number would back a Labour move to attack the PM.
None the less, cabinet ministers openly are discussing how to respond if Ms May's Brexit deal is rejected, with the possibility of the Commons being asked to choose from a menu of alternatives in order to break the deadlock.
The prime minister was to use her statement in the Commons to condemn calls for a second Brexit referendum, but one of her closest allies said "all options" should be on the table.
Work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd said it would be important to find out the "will of Parliament" on how to proceed, while business secretary Greg Clark also appeared to back an indicative vote to find out what - if anything - MPs could support.
The prime minister will say that a new national poll would do "irreparable damage" to the integrity of British politics.
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