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Thank you for contacting me about the vote of no confidence in Theresa May as Leader of the Conservative Party.
On Tuesday evening, the threshold of 15% of Conservative MPs submitting letters of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady, Chair of the 1922 Committee was reached and a ballot was held. I expressed a vote of no confidence in Theresa May. This is because of my concerns that no Brexit deal acceptable to Parliament has yet been reached and insufficient preparation has been made to prepare for a no deal scenario.
My reason for expressing no confidence is not personal. I admire the tenacity of Theresa May in her role as Prime Minister and her service to this party and the country over a number of decades. However, she is not delivering Brexit.
The Prime Minister won the vote of no confidence but, if she returns from Brussels with no substantial or material changes to the Withdrawal Agreement, the Leader of the Opposition may well call for a vote of no confidence in the Government. At this point, I would expect the confidence and supply arrangement with the DUP to end and the vote of no confidence to pass, due to the backstop remaining in place. This would mean a General Election becomes almost inevitable.
As Member of Parliament for Newton Abbot, I will always do my level best to ensure outcomes that are in the best interests of our community and the wider country. That is why I will continue to push for a Brexit deal that delivers on the vote of the British people to leave the European Union on March 29th 2019 and take back control of our sovereignty and borders.
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