Theresa May: PM resists calls to resign after Brexit bill backlash

Summary

A day of calls from many Conservatives for Theresa May to quit as PM ends with a cabinet departure
Commons leader Andrea Leadsom quits her post, saying she no longer believes the government's approach will deliver Brexit
The prime minister tells Mrs Leadsom she is sorry to lose someone of her "passion, drive and sincerity in this way"
Mrs May had earlier set out her plan for a "new Brexit deal" designed to unite MPs
But it has been met with criticism from all sides
Labour, the SNP, DUP and Lib Dems have all said they won't back it
Tory Brexiteers are particularly angry at the offer of another referendum contained in the bill

Live Reporting

Alex Therrien and Alex Kleiderman

Leadership speculation on the eve of an electionpublished at 16:45 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
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Tom Tugendhat calls for May to gopublished at 16:36 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
Foreign Affairs Committee Chair writes...
Image source, UK Parliament
Just before the news of Sajid Javid broke, it emerged that Conservative MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Tugendhat haswritten a piece in the Financial Times, external calling for Theresa May to step down.
He writes that there is "one last chance" in order to try and get Brexit secured with a withdrawal agreement.
He says that Mrs May has made "valiant efforts" in order to try and "deliver Brexit," but he warns that "the mood in Britain has darkened" as the nation "remains divided over the results of the 2016 referendum".
"With a new leader, a new negotiating team and a united purpose to make the most of the last opportunity we have got, we can still - just - deliver," he finishes.
It's another potentially significant intervention.
Javid intervention a significant onepublished at 16:31 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
Image source, AFP
The intervention from Home Secretary Sajid Javid is a signficant one. He's a key figure around the cabinet table and one who has largely kept any misgivings he may have had about Theresa May's handling of Brexit to himself until now.
He's also widely tipped as a potential future Conservative leader.
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'Unhappy' Sajid Javid asks to see Theresa Maypublished at 16:27 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
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Tory backbenchers discussing no confidence votepublished at 16:17 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
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MP 'dashes to hand in no confidence letter'published at 16:14 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
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Further to our last post, the executive - the top tier - of the 1922 Committee is meeting now, with the full meeting beginning at 17:00 BST.
Not sure what the 1922 Committee is? Read this.
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'Real action' will be at 1922 Committee meeting shortlypublished at 16:11 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
BBC News Channel
The BBC's chief political correspondent Vicki Young says junior ministers are going in to see their chief whip because they are unhappy about the Brexit bill.
But the "real action" will be at the 1922 Committee meeting of backbench Tory MPs later, she says.
There will be talk about whether they can change the rules to challenge the PM's leadership in the next hour, she says, and this could be "quite significant".
Summary: What's happened so far today?published at 16:08 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
With speculation circulating around Westminster on the future of the prime minister and her Withdrawal Agreement Bill, here's what we know so far.
- Theresa May spent two and a half hours in the Commons - first taking questions during PMQs and then on her Brexit statement
- She urged MPs to support her bill - the legislation required to implement Brexit - which she says will be brought to the Commons for a vote after the parliamentary recess in early June
- The bill itself will be published on Friday, she said
- But there have been rumours that disgruntled Brexiteer cabinet ministers have been meeting over their unhappiness with the bill
- There have also been mixed messages from ministers, with one telling the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg that it is the "end of the line" for the PM and another saying that she must stay
- Number 10 says there are no plans for a cabinet meeting today, although Scottish Secretary David Mundell, we're told, is planning to see her to voice his unhappiness
If the bill is pulled, does PM have to go anyway?published at 16:06 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
The suggestion from some political correspondents is that unhappy ministers want Theresa May to say she will not, as promised, press ahead with the Withdrawal Agreement Bill in its current form. They are unhappy with some of the compromises offered within it, especially on the possibility of another referendum. But as one political commentator from the Mail on Sunday tweets...
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List of unhappy ministers growingpublished at 15:55 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
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Another short day in the Commonspublished at 15:43 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
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'Pizza club' of Brexiteer ministers unhappypublished at 15:40 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
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'Weather is changing' on veterans issuepublished at 15:36 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
The subject of veterans who served in Northern Ireland came up again and again during PMQs. Read more on those exchanges here.
The issue is a complex one - this story explains more of the detail.
Conservative MP Jonny Mercer withdrew his support for the government over the issue. This is his latest on the matter:
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Mixed messages coming out of cabinetpublished at 15:28 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
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Watch: 'Move heaven and earth' to save British Steel, Long-Bailey urgespublished at 15:27 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
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Watch: Clark promises to help British Steel workerspublished at 15:25 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
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Labour MP: 'Only way to avoid no deal is to support bill'published at 15:14 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
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Labour's Stephen Kinnock says at the moment MPs are "playing with fire".
"What I really want to see is the Labour whip coming in behind a sensible compromise option," he says.
"We've said our top priority is to avoid crashing out without a deal," and he believes the "only way" to do that is to get Theresa May's Brexit bill through its second reading.
Mr Kinnock thinks Thursday's European elections could have a significant impact on how things now play out.
"It looks like the Brexit Party is going to do very well in the EU elections. This will turn the Tories into a no-deal party," he says.
"The only way to avoid this is to get bill over the line."
'Walls closing in on Theresa May'published at 15:08 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
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What is happening now? Latest from Laurapublished at 15:02 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
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Minister calls for 'loyalty'published at 14:59 British Summer Time 22 May 2019
International Development Secretary Rory Stewart calls the swirling rumours of cabinet insurrection "absurd".
We should probably point out that Mr Stewart has said he'll stand to be the next Conservative leader once Mrs May quits.
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