British Prime Minister Theresa May survives a no-confidence vote brought by colleagues in her governing Conservative Party over her handling of Brexit.
Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday survived a no-confidence vote in her leadership over Brexit.
May won the vote with 200 lawmakers backing her leadership, but 117 of her lawmakers said she was no longer the right leader to implement Britain’s exit from the European Union.
May had needed 159 votes for the simple majority to win the vote.
Forty-eight Conservative MPs requested the vote of no confidence, which was held late Wednesday.
The request came after May delayed a key Brexit vote on Tuesday, fearing defeat.
‘Country’s future at risk’
Ahead of the vote, she vowed to fight: “I will contest that vote with everything I’ve got,” she told reporters outside 10 Downing Street.
“A change of leadership in the Conservative Party now would put our country’s future at risk. And create uncertainty when we can least afford it,” she warned.
On her plan for Brexit, which many within her own party oppose, she said a “new leader wouldn’t have time to renegotiate, so one of their first acts would have be extending or rescinding Article 50,” the section of the EU founding treaty under which the UK is seeking to exit the 28-member European bloc.
Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, 2019.
May could still face challenge
The result means May can keep her positions as party leader and prime minister while continuing an uphill battle to win parliamentary approval for her Brexit plan.
Her victory means fellow Conservatives cannot challenge her for another year.
May could still face a challenge in Parliament if the opposition Labour Party seeks a confidence vote in the House of Commons over the EU divorce plan.
Corbyn ups ante
Britain’s parliament needs to regain control of the Brexit process, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Wednesday after vote on May’s leadership.
“Tonight’s vote makes no difference to the lives of our people,” Corbyn said in a statement.
“She must now bring her dismal deal back to the House of Commons next week so Parliament can take back control.”
