Theresa May should 'meet the Queen and resign', says Jacob Rees-Mogg despite PM winning confidence vote

Mrs May arriving to 10 Downing Street earlier
PA
Olivia Tobin13 December 2018
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said Theresa May should "meet the Queen and resign" despite surviving a confidence vote in her leadership.

Mr Rees-Mogg, who had orchestrated a coup against the Prime Minister, said the result of the vote, which she won with a majority of 200 to 117, was “terrible”.

The Brexiteer said: “She ought to go and see the Queen urgently and resign”.

Mr Mogg said the PM had "clearly lost the support of the back benches of the Conservative Party" and "that was not a good position for her to be in".

The MP for North East Somerset added Mrs May should resign because "she can't get her deal through".

Brexit-backing Tory MP Mark Francois told the BBC that the result was "a devastating verdict" on Mrs May.

"She lost well over half of the backbenchers, and that's an extremely difficult position for any Prime Minister to find themselves in," said Mr Francois.

"Over a third of her MPs have said they don't have confidence in her. That's a devastating verdict. In the cold light of day when people reflect on that number - 117, it's a massive number, far more than anyone was predicting - I think that will be very sobering for the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

"If I were her I wouldn't be pleased about this at all, quite the opposite. I think she needs to think very carefully about what she does now."

After the result, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “The Prime Minister has lost her majority in Parliament, her government is in chaos and she is unable to deliver a Brexit deal that works for the country and puts jobs and the economy first.”

He said that "she must now bring her dismal deal back" to the Commons next week so that Parliament can "take back control".

The Prime Minister now faces a renewed battle to get her Brexit deal through Parliament
Jeremy Selwyn

While Shadow chancellor John McDonnell tweeted: "Shocking result for Theresa May. Even having offered to go before the next general election she still has a huge 117 Tory MPs, a third of her party, voting against her and not having confidence in her. Wow."

Sir Graham Brady (centre), chairman of the 1922 Committee, announces that Theresa May has survived
PA

Other MPs from Mrs May’s party were quick to praise the PM,though.

Remain-supporting Conservative MP Nicky Morgan tweeted: “Sense has prevailed – the Conservative Parliamentary Party does have confidence in Theresa May – the 48 do not speak for the silent majority in the Party or in the country.”

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt also congratulated the Prime Minister.

He said: “Huge congrats to Theresa May, whose stamina resilience and decency has again won the day and given her the chance to deliver Brexit for our country.”

Simon Hoare MP called the win a “solid result” for Mrs May, praising her.

He said: “A solid result for Theresa May and I’m delighted for her. We now regroup and deliver for our country and the great nation we serve”.

But Mr Corbyn said: "Tonight's vote makes no difference to the lives of our people.

"The Prime Minister has lost her majority in Parliament, her government is in chaos and she is unable to deliver a Brexit deal that works for the country and puts jobs and the economy first.

"That's why she pulled the vote on her botched Brexit deal this week and is trying to avoid bringing it back to Parliament. It's clear that she has not been able to negotiate the necessary changes in Europe.

"She must now bring her dismal deal back to the House of Commons next week so Parliament can take back control.

"Labour is ready to govern for the whole country and deliver a deal that protects living standards and workers' rights."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn
AFP/Getty Images

Scottish National Party MP Mhairi Black said: “The whole affair was a complete waste of time achieving absolutely nothing.”

MP for the Green Party, Caroline Lucas, who has called for a People’s Vote said: “PM might have beaten her backbench rebels, but Theresa May can’t beat the parliamentary arithmetic.

“MPs will never approve her deal. The only way forward is a Peoples Vote.”

Labour MP for Streatham Chuka Umunna was hugely critical of the Prime Minister following the announcement.

He said: “It’s a bloody disgrace 317 Tory MPs have, through this vote of confidence, had a chance to vote on the PMs deal, but their Government denies the country the chance to do the same through a People’s Vote.

“They voted twice on her leadership – we want to do the same on Brexit.”

As well as Mr Umunna, Labour heavyweight David Lammy MP criticised the PM.

He said: “The Prime Minister may have scraped through the confidence vote among Tory MPs, but she’s lost Parliament and she’s lost the country. To unblock our politics we need to go back to the country to get a decisive mandate to either leave with her deal, or remain in the EU.”

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said: "Having seen the Conservative backbenches will not support her deal the Prime Minister must change course.

Britain's leader of the Liberal Democrat party, Vince Cable
REUTERS

"Her deal is doomed to defeat in the Commons, so she should show real leadership by putting this question back to the public in a People's Vote.

"The EU is clear that there is no more negotiating to do, so it's this deal or no Brexit. That is the choice on which every voter should now have a final say - and Liberal Democrats will campaign vigorously for the UK to remain a full member of the EU."

Conservative MP Anna Sourby said: "Tonight the Prime Minister had 117 colleagues, which is the majority of the backbenches, that don’t have confidence in her. These are sensitive, modern Conservatives who found themselves in the position where they could not support the Prime Minister. We have to change tact."

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in