Theresa May no-confidence vote - LIVE: Tory bid to dethrone PM fails yet Jacob Rees Mogg and hard-Brexit allies renew calls for her resignation
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Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May has won a vote of no confidence as the prime minister dashed the hopes of Brexiteer MPs to topple her.
Ms May was backed by 200 Tory MPs compared to 117 rebels who hoped to oust her, following the most dramatic 24 hours yet of the Brexit saga.
A secret ballot started at 6pm after the prime minister addressed the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers, telling them she will not lead the party into the 2022 election.
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This is from the European Parliament's Brexit coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, reacting to the news of a no confidence vote in the PM. He reiterates the position that renegotiating the backstop - the EU's insurance policy against a hard border in Northern Ireland - is not possible.
According to the Derbyshire Telegraph, the Conservatives have restored the whip for Andrew Griffiths - so he can vote in this evening's no confidence motion. He was suspended from the party for sending thousands of texts to a constituent.
Senior Tory MP Sir Bernard Jenkin, a prominent leaver, said he had tried to work with Theresa May but her deferral of the Parliamentary vote on the Brexit deal was the final straw.
"I do this very reluctantly. I've tried my best to work with Theresa May," he said.
"But she's used up all her authority. The vote having to be pulled on Tuesday was really the fatal blow."
The public believes that Theresa May should stay as prime minister by a margin of 40% to 34%, according to snap new polling, writes Lizzy Buchan.
In a boost to the PM as she prepares to fight a no-confidence vote, a survey by YouGov found 58% of Tory voters back her to stay on, compared to 28% of Conservatives who would like to see her ousted.
The poll found 45% of overall Leave voters think she should remain as PM while 38% want to see her go.
An overwhelming majority believe that no other Tory leader could negotiate a better Brexit deal (57%). Just 18% think a challenger like Boris Johnson or Dominic Raab could do a better job.
“No doubt a factor in deciding whether to support Theresa May’s continued premiership is whether or not people believe her replacement could convince the EU to give Britain a better Brexit deal,” said YouGov’s Matthew Smith.
:: Sample Size: 3093 GB Adults Fieldwork: 12th December 2018
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