Theresa May clings to power yet again in no-confidence vote. And so the chaos continues.

Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn
Fréa Lockley


On 16 January, Theresa May survived a vote of no confidence in her government. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn put this in motion after MPs voted 432 to 202 against her Brexit deal on 15 January.

May is in charge of a government that’s seen the biggest defeat ever in the UK’s history. But she’s still here. Because she won the no-confidence vote by 325 to 306:

Start your day with The Canary News Digest

Fresh and fearless; get excellent independent journalism from The Canary, delivered straight to your inbox every morning.

The debate

Earlier in the day, Corbyn pointed out that she’s leading “a zombie government” and is in a “state of denial” about these historic events and the destruction she’s caused in the UK. Despite losing by such a vast majority on her Brexit deal, she was bolstered even by MPs who disagree with her approach to Brexit. But still, she only won by 19 votes.

During the closing speeches, Labour’s Tom Watson said May lacked the “political skills, the empathy… and most crucially the policy to lead”:

And many people applauded his words:

His eloquence was in complete contrast to arch-Brexiteer Michael Gove, who preferred to smear his way around the despatch box:

What next?

Many people took to Twitter to express their feelings following the results:

Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, has refused to discuss the issue further until May rules out a no-deal Brexit. The Lib Dems echoed this. And the SNP insisted she must be “willing to discuss extending article 50 and holding a second referendum before they agreed to participate”.

The government has confidence in itself. But no one else does.

What next? Therein lies the problem. Because May hauled the country into chaos. And following this vote, that only continues. Had she lost, the prospect of a general election gave hope to millions of people hit by almost nine years of Tory-led austerity.

Since the outset, Brexit has been a divisive issue. And with May still using it to prop herself up, it’s also helping to destroy the country.

Featured images via screengrab and Rwendland/Wikimedia

Since you're here ...

We know you don't need a lecture. You wouldn't be here if you didn't care.
Now, more than ever, we need your help to challenge the rightwing press and hold power to account. Please help us survive and thrive.

The Canary Support

Related articles