Theresa May agrees to hold talks on departure date after MPs vote on Brexit bill next month - as it happened

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Sir Graham Brady of 1922 committee says PM will meet him in June to agree timetable for leadership election

Theresa May has agreed to meet with senior Conservatives next month to discuss her departure from office.

The prime minister will meet Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee that represents Tory MPs, after MPs vote again on her Brexit deal at the start of June.

The executive of the 1922 Committee is under pressure from Tory MPs to amend a rule that says a vote of confidence in the leader can only be held once a year. Ms May saw off an attempt to oust her in December, meaning another such vote cannot currently be held until December.

However, it appears to have agreed to hold off on any rule change until the vote on the Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

In a statement released after the meeting, Sir Graham said: "The prime minister is determined to secure our departure from the European Union and is devoting her efforts to securing the second reading of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill in the week commencing 3 June 2019 and the passage of that bill and the consequent departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union by the summer."

"We have agreed that she and I will meet following the second reading of the bill to agree a timetable for the election of a new leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party."

Labour has confirmed that it will vote against the bill, with shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer telling the Commons: "I'd have thought it was patently clear that if the prime minister's deal is put for a fourth time, if it's allowed, it will fail just as it has failed three times already.

"But I want to make it clear that Labour opposes the idea of passing the Withdrawal Agreement Bill without an agreed deal - that would put the cart before the horse, and Labour will vote against at second reading on that basis."

It came as Boris Johnson confirmed that he will stand to succeed Ms May as Tory leader.

The former foreign secretary told a business event in Manchester: "I'm going to go for it. Of course I'm going to go for it."

As it happened...

Key Points

• Theresa May refuses to announce resignation date after meeting with senior Tories
• Former cabinet minister says prime minister will destroy Conservative Party unless she 'resigns now'
• Boris Johnson announces leadership bid
• Labour will vote against Brexit deal bill next month, Keir Starmer confirms

[16 May 2019 15:47 · Benjamin Kentish]

Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee, has been speaking after the committee's executive held talks with Theresa May. 

He told reporters:

"We have agreed to meet to decide the timetable for the election of a new leader of the Conservative Party as soon as the second reading has occurred and that will take place regardless of what the vote is on the second reading - whether it passes or whether it fails."

Of the talks with Ms May, he said:

"It was a very frank discussion, I tried to make sure that all the views represented on the executive were expressed and we had a very frank exchange with the prime minister."

[16 May 2019 16:05 · Benjamin Kentish]

The Tories have lost a third of their support among voters since March as supporters switch to Nigel Farage's Brexit Party, a new poll has found 

[16 May 2019 16:22 · Benjamin Kentish]

Commenting on 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady's announcement that he will hold talks with Theresa May at the start of June about her departure from office, a No10 spokesperson said:

"The statement was issued with the PM's agreement.

"The PM's focus is on securing our departure from the EU and we are working incredibly hard to build a stable majority for the WAB [Withdrawal Agreement Bill] ahead of its introduction.

"That is what we are focused on."

[16 May 2019 16:40 · Benjamin Kentish]

Conservative activist Dinah Glover, who is organising a Tory grassroots campaign to force Theresa May to resign, has tweeted this in response to the news that the prime minister will hold talks at the start of June about her departure from office.

A motion of no confidence in Ms May, organised by Ms Glover, is set to be debated an an emergency general meeting of the Conservative National Convention on 15 June.

[16 May 2019 17:01 · Benjamin Kentish]

That's all for today's live coverage - thanks for following!