Ex-Tory chairman Shapps “leading the rebels working to oust TMay”
Former CON chairman under Cameron, Grant Shapps says that TMay should quit and new leader be electedhttps://t.co/cDyDE3iTGW pic.twitter.com/kQoiVapsna
— Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) October 6, 2017
Meanwhile YouGov finds the country divided over TMay staying
YouGov Times poll taken since TMay's conference speech finds 39% saying she should stay and 38% saying she should go
— Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) October 6, 2017
So the battle for the future of the Conservative Party is now on with senior figures ready to go on the record saying they are working to try to force her out.
In process terms the rebels need 15% of the parliamentary party, 48, to send letters to the chairman of the 1922 committee demanding a confidence vote on the Prime Minister. The Times report linked to above says that there are at least 30 names.
As I have noted in previous posts the process of ousting a Conservative leader is very separate from the process of electing a new one. Only after there has been a vote has no confidence or Mrs May quits voluntarily will possible contenders have to declare themselves.
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What is interesting here is that the rebels do not appear to be Boris Johnson backers but previous loyalists to the last Conservative Prime Minister to win a majority, David Cameron.
It was that majority that Mrs May lost on June 8th in the general election that she personally called three years early.
There have been separate reports that supporters of the former Mayor and now Foreign Secretary have their own list of MPs ready to demand a confidence motion.
Whether they are included in the 30 total I do not know. Last week I was given a figure of Boris backers of 38 CON MPs from what I regard as a reliable party source.
Whatever the battle for the future of the Conservative Party is now on.
Latest betting has Mrs May a 2/1 to survive the year.