Tory MP submits letter of no confidence in Theresa May as she prepares for crunch speech
2 min read
Another Tory MP has submitted a letter of no confidence in Theresa May - just minutes before she was due to deliver a make-or-break speech to the party conference.
Brexiteer James Duddridge said he had spoken to no Conservative colleagues who believed the Prime Minister should still be leader by the next election.
Under Tory rules, 48 MPs need to submit letters to Graham Brady, chair of the backbench 1922 Committee, to trigger a vote of confidence.
In his letter Mr Duddridge, the MP for Rochford and Southend East said the country needed "someone who belies in Brexit" in Number 10.
He said: “I am normally a loyalist, served in the Whip’s Office for nearly five years and have never voted against the Government.
"However, there comes a point that blind loyalty is not the right way forward. We need a strong leader, someone who believes in Brexit and someone to deliver what the electorate voted for. The Prime Minister seems incapable of doing this.
"I have not met a single MP who thinks she will lead us into another election after the last disastrous snap election."
Speaking to Radio Four's Today programme earlier, Mr Duddridge - who unsuccessfully tried to oust Speaker John Bercow - praised Boris Johnson's "inspirational" speech to a conference fringe event.
He said: "We need a leader not a chief executive, an administrator, we need a vision to go forward and that’s what Boris presented yesterday.
"We haven’t got someone that can effectively negotiate with the European Union at the moment, the Brexit negotiations have been an absolute disaster.
"The Cabinet were railroaded into Chequers, the Prime Minister is haemorrhaging support in Cabinet and in her party. No one seriously expects her to fight another general election, yet we limp on and pretend we’re all behind a leader who is not delivering."
It is not known how many Tory MPs have submitted letters of no confidence, but it is thought to be well short of the 48 required.
Many Conservatives also believe that Mrs May would win any confidence vote, which would ensure she could not face another one for at least a year.
Philip Davies, another Brexiteer MP, submitted his letter to Graham Brady in July, blaming Mrs May's "unacceptable" Brexit strategy for his decision.
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