PM May to face vote of no confidence tonight

UK Prime Minister Theresa May

Under-fire Prime Minister Theresa May is set to face a vote of confidence in her leadership later today (Wednesday).

In a statement in Downing Street, Mrs May has said: "I will contest that vote with everything I have got".

Mrs May has confirmed that a new prime minister would have to scrap or extend Article 50 - the mechanism taking Britain out of the EU on March 29, 2019 - "delaying or even stopping Brexit".

Conservative MPs will conduct their confidence vote between 6-8pm this evening.

The challenge to Mrs May's position has surfaced after the required 48 letters calling for a contest were delivered.

Mrs May, who has been prime minister since shortly after the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016, has faced criticism in her party for the Brexit plan she has negotiated.

If Mrs May does not win tonight's vote there would then be a Conservative leadership contest in which she could not stand.

There is also an option that even if Mrs May won - but not overwhelmingly - she may decide to stand down as Conservative party leader.

Mrs May came under fire on Monday when she announced that the proposed House of Commons vote on her Brexit deal was to be delayed.

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