Corbyn’s moment of truth: Labour leader calls a vote of no-confidence to topple May TOMORROW
A no confidence vote that could oust Theresa May will be held tomorrow after Jeremy Corbyn launched his attack seconds after the Brexit deal was crushed.
The Labour leader is seizing on the Brexit chaos to try to force the Tories out of power and get the keys to Number Ten for himself.
But braced for the attack, the PM told the Commons she would face a confidence vote before he had a chance to announce his plan.
Getting to his feet at the end of an explosive day in Parliament, Mr Corbyn said the PM had suffered a ‘catastrophic’ defeat that has left her Brexit plan in tatters.In a defiant statement moments after Mrs May was defeated 432 to 202, Mr Corbyn said he had tabled the crucial motion.
He said: ‘The result of tonight’s vote is the greatest defeat for a government since the 1920s in this House. This is a catastrophic defeat for this government.
‘After two years of failed negotiations, the House of Commons has delivered its verdict on her Brexit deal and that verdict is absolutely decisive.’
His spokesman even suggested that if Labour lose tomorrow’s vote they could table another no confidence vote in future weeks
The move triggers a high-stakes contest that, if he wins, could send Mrs May tumbling from office and pave the way for a general election.
But Mrs May looks set to cling on tomorrow after the DUP and her hardline Brexiteers confirmed they would vote for her – despite pulling their support tonight.
Mr Corbyn had been under a huge amount of pressure from his MPs to table the vote to try to topple the PM after her humiliation tonight.
He had threatened to hold the vote one last month, but U-turned on it in a move which saw him mocked by his critics.
Backbencher Gavin Shuker said failure to force a vote would be an ‘abdication of leadership’ and prove that the Labour leader is just trying to dodge backing a second Brexit referendum.
Mr Shuker said: ‘A failure to table a no confidence motion would be a huge betrayal tonight.
‘An abdication of leadership; the act of someone trying dodge a People’s Vote and run down the clock.’
Labour want to oust Mrs May, force a general election, seize power and take control of the Brexit talks.
They insist that a Labour government would do a better job in the talks than the PM.
But Labour are deeply divided on Brexit – with many Remainer MPs clamouring for a second referendum while voters in the Labour heartlands overwhelmingly backed Brexit.
Mr Corbyn is under huge pressure from his backbenchers to back a second referendum, dubbed a ‘People’s Vote’.
But he has tried to dodge these demands by saying that he will push for another election but after that all options are on the table.