Tories plotting Theresa May's ouster: Reports

Image
Press Trust of India London
Last Updated : Jun 18 2017 | 5:57 PM IST
British Prime Minister Theresa May has "10 days to save her job" as some of her party lawmakers are secretly plotting her ouster, according to UK media reports.
After her flawed decision to call a snap general election saw the Conservatives lose their narrow majority earlier this month, May has now come under fire for her lacklustre response to the Grenfell Tower fire disaster.
The failure to win the election outright and her response to the London blaze has exposed splits within the Cabinet and rage on the Tory benches.
She has 10 days to come up with a strategy that will satisfy enough supporters of hard and soft Brexit alike or she will face a leadership challenge, a former minister told The Sunday Times.
"She is going to have to go sooner rather than later. The critical moment is June 28 and 29, when there are votes on the Queen's Speech," the politician said.
"If it looks like they will be lost, you have to strike," he said.
A senior backbencher also spoke of coming under pressure to back a vote of no confidence in May's leadership.
"I've got serious members in my constituency texting me saying: 'You've got to get rid of her quickly because every time she appears she's making the party more toxic,'" the MP told the newspaper.
MPs warned there had been a collective collapse of trust in May's leadership, and a Cabinet minister told friends he was "worried about her state of mind".
Another minister close to May said: "She had better stop feeling sorry for herself, pull up her socks and start to lead - and if she can't do that she should go. Shape up or ship out."
Leading Eurosceptic MPs have told 'The Telegraph' they are prepared to mount an immediate leadership challenge if May deviates from her original plan of a hard Brexit.
According to the newspaper, some have threatened a "stalking horse" scenario - whereby a candidate is put up against the prime minister.
"What we would do is to put up a candidate to run against her, a stalking horse. You can imagine who would do it," a former minister told 'The Telegraph'.
The Conservatives had been forced to delay this year's Queen's Speech as the party held discussions with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to thrash out an agreement on propping up the minority government.
A formal deal has yet to be secured but Tory sources have said there is a "broad agreement" on the principles of the speech, and State Opening will now take place on Wednesday - two days later than originally scheduled.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jun 18 2017 | 5:57 PM IST

Next Story