UK Conservative lawmakers don't expect confidence vote against PM May after crunch meeting
LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May is likely safe from a leadership challenge despite losing two senior ministers, several Conservative lawmakers said Monday after she held a crunch meeting to sell her parliamentary party on her Brexit plan.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit minister David Davis quit government in protest at May’s plan for Brexit, which she had agreed with her cabinet last Friday, throwing her government into chaos.
But party chairman Brandon Lewis and other lawmakers including prominent Eurosceptic Jacob Rees-Mogg told reporters they did not expect a confidence motion to be brought against May after she met the parliamentary party in a bid to get their support for her plan.
“The question of a leadership challenge, I think it’s out the window, gone,” said Robert Buckland, Solicitor General for England and Wales.
“I think that meeting put to bed any idea of a leadership challenge and I think she’s absolutely safe.”
May left the meeting to loud applause, a Reuters witness said.
Reporting by William James, writing by Alistair Smout. Editing by Andrew MacAskill