Another no confidence vote on May.

[Workingman]

This time it is from Conservatives Associations and activists at grassroots local level. May was informed on Monday and the vote will take place in 28 days, after the local and EU elections. By that time the whole world and his dog will know how much damage May has done to the Tories. The result will be announced in early June.

The vote is not binding, but if it goes against May she will probably have to resign immediately. That would inevitably lead to another request to delay Brexit and also a GE.

[cromwell]

I suppose it might push her out, but TM has brought deep meaning to the word "muleish". Stubborn doesn't come into it.
I dunno. If the EU elections go ahead the Tories will be marmalised, I think everyone agrees on that. So she might go before the member's vote.
But it has to be said that May has not shown any signs of wanting to resign at all so far.

[medsec222]

I think she will cling on like grim death. I suspect this is because she thinks she is right and doesn't see her deal as a bad deal, just the only deal. She wants to be remembered as the Prime Minister who saved Brexit, but she is the Prime Minister who has destroyed the Tory Party. It was never going to be easy to deliver Brexit but handing over the initial negotiations, and even the subsequent negotiation, to pro-EU civil servants, and largely marginalising the Brexit Secretary (Secretaries), was a huge mistake.

[cromwell]

Medsec, I think you are right. May seems to be fixated on HER DEAL, and getting it through come what may.

[Workingman]

If the vote goes against May, and it does look likely, then it could spell trouble for her in another way.

The vote is non-binding, so she could ride it out, but ...

I cannot find a list of the constituencies, 70 of them, who signed up for the extraordinary general meeting, yet they are the key. Statistically many of them will have MPs in the cabinet and pressure could be applied.

Despite surviving the original vote of no confidence, which gave her a year's protection from another, she has since lost control of the parliamentary party. If the associations vote against her she could easily lose the cabinet.

It happened to Thatcher and Major, and despite them wanting to stay on they were both forced out.

The most unfortunate thing with all of this is that there is a country to run yet it is suspended in aspic. The combination of May's (ahem) leadership, and Brexit, has created a black hole from which there is no escape.

[Workingman]

Could things get worse?

The Defence Secretary, Gavin Williamson, has been sacked because it is claimed that he was the person who leaked about Huawei.

He has denied it saying that he was given the choice to resign or be sacked. He chose to be sacked in order to clear his name.

There are now calls for the police to carry out a criminal investigation under the Official Secrets Act, this means that the actions of others could be called into question.

Talk about another Tory mess! Is anybody in control?

[TheOstrich]

We just stagger from crisis to farce to crisis again. Interesting however that Williamson's not holding his hands up to it …. May had better have some hard evidence to back up her decision.

Personally I agree with him about Huawei, though. The politicians seem intent on selling the country out to furriners, and no good will ultimately come of it.

And Grayling's apparently wasted a further £50m more on cancelled additional ferry contracts …

The lunatics are truly in charge of the asylum.

[medsec222]

I am incensed when reading about Chris Grayling's incompetence and the taxpayer's money he has wasted. It is so disgusting when we read about disabled people, often seriously ill, having their benefits removed by unqualified 'medical' examiners.

[Kaz]

Williamson was right on this, IF it was him

[Workingman]

The Huawei thing is odd.

It is not supplying core components, just antennas and repeaters, and they are essentially "dumb" components.

Surely we can find other manufacturers of them or, I know this is outrageous, make our own.