Tories may initiate leadership challenge procedure against May on Wednesday — UK MP

The parliamentary faction of the Conservative Party may initiate the leadership challenge procedure for UK Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday amid growing discontent over her Brexit plan, conservative lawmaker Andrew Bridgen has told Sky News.

According to the lawmaker, "a number of colleagues who have put letters of no confidence in today [on Tuesday]," and the required threshold of 48 letters has already been reached.

"I believe that we have breached the 48-letter limit and that means if that's the case that Sir Graham Brady will be going to see the Prime Minister to call for a vote of confidence tomorrow [on Wednesday]," said Bridgen, who wrote his letter of no confidence in Theresa May back in July.

A group of Conservative Party members, who disagree with May’s stance on Brexit, launched a campaign to remove her from power earlier this year.

Protesting against the conditions specified in the Brexit deal, approved by London and Brussels in mid-November, several Tory backbenchers expressed their no-confidence in letters to the parliament’s Committee 1922, which has the authority to launch the formal procedure of challenging May and her government over the loss of confidence.

In order to launch the procedure, committee head Graham Brady, should receive such letters from 15% of Tory MPs, or 48 people.

If the leadership challenge procedure is launched, May would require a simple majority in her favor to retain the post. After that, she would be immune from such procedures for at least one year. However, if 158 of 315 Tory MPs vote against her, the party will have three months to choose a new leader.