Theresa May survives no-confidence motion by 19 votes and invites Corbyn to talks over Brexit deadlock
Theresa May dramatically survived an attempt by Jeremy Corbyn to oust her tonight – and immediately held out an olive branch on Brexit.
The Prime Minister coasted to victory in a no-confidence vote by 325 306 after the DUP and Tory Brexiteers came back into the fold despite dealing her a vicious humiliation on her EU deal last night.
A jubilant PM pledged to deliver on the ‘solemn promise we made to the people of the UK’ to deliver Brexit, and said she was inviting other party leaders individually for talks.
‘I want to start this tonight,’ she told MPs. ‘The House has put its confidence in this government.’
But Mr Corbyn immediately refused, saying he would only join discussions if Mrs May ruled out no deal.
The Labour leader had dodged staging the vote for weeks – but finally called it for today after the government suffered a 118-strong rebellion by Conservative MPs last night.
However, Mrs May was boosted when a former Labour MP, John Woodcock, declared that Mr Corbyn was ‘not fit for high office’. An independent unionist, Sylvia Hermon, also voted in her favour.
In the end the margin was significantly bigger than the government’s effective majority of 13.
It was the first time a confidence vote has been held in the Commons since 1993, when John Major was PM.
Mrs May struck a bullish tone as she returned to Parliament earlier today in the wake of the Brexit deal drubbing, warning that allowing Mr Corbyn to seize power would send the economy into a tailspin and ridiculing his chaotic EU policy.
But she is still scrambling to find a way forward on Brexit as ministers clashed openly over the shape of the government’s ‘Plan B’.
Mrs May had already said she will ‘open discussions’ with senior MPs from other parties as she tries to forge a Parliamentary consensus on the way forward. Her effective deputy David Lidington has been put in charge of the charm offensive.
However, tonight was the first time she had explicitly offered to open talks with other party leaders.
The PM held talks with DUP leader Arlene Foster in Westminster this evening, with Mrs Foster describing the meeting as ‘useful’. ‘The issue of the backstop needs to be dealt and we will continue to work to that end,’ she said.