Another plot to oust Mrs May

[Quartz]

Telegraph article here, probably paywalled. It expands on one of the options discussed at Conservative Home here.

Party chairmen are circulating a petition calling for the party’s National Convention, which represents the grassroots, to call an Extraordinary General Meeting to pass a vote of no confidence in Mrs May, the Tory leader.

If the petition motion is signed by more than 65 association chairmen, the party is obliged to hold the meeting. So far between 40 and 50 party chairmen have signed it, and the threshold could be passed as early as next week.

Schedule 3, paragraph 13 of the Party constitution says that “a petition signed by not less than 65 Constituency Association Chairmen” compels the party to call “an Extraordinary General Meeting of the National Convention”.

However, Conservative Home says

Ultimately, if enough association chairmen’s signatures are gathered, and a Convention EGM is called, and that meeting votes no confidence, it’s worth wondering what would have changed. It would be another embarrassment for the Prime Minister, but she has ridden out many embarrassments before.

IMHO the sooner she goes the better. She’s simply not a leader.

[Ravenman]

Why, because she can’t deliver Brexit? That’s a terrible metric, as it is basically like the mob demanding that their elected officials deliver time travel that is safe and cheap enough for everyone to take advantage of.

“Here I am sitting in 2019 like a sucker! Our leaders must go!”

[Left_Hand_of_Dorkness]

The sooner the Conservative Party gets a leader to build them their cheese submarine, the better.

[DinoR]

It’s easy to point at May and be unhappy. I’m having a hard time imagining someone who both wants the job right now and can get the support of most of the party.

[Quartz]

@Ravenman

Why, because she can’t deliver Brexit?

Did you bother to read my OP? She’s not a leader and that’s it.

[Gyrate]

Much as I loathe Theresa May, everything she stands for and everything she’s done, she nonetheless has demonstrated more leadership and gravitas of any of the other options on offer, particularly given the chalice of poisoned diarrhoea she (willingly) was handed. You think Johnson or Gove or Rees Mogg or Leadsom or Fox would have done better? Or be better now? You would prefer Corbyn or (and I actually had to look this up) Vince Cable would be running things smoothly? Maybe we should give Ian Blackford or Liz Saville-Roberts a go.

It’s always tempting to say “The person in charge is bad and anyone else would be better than them” but history repeatedly shows that things can always get worse. Before I join the “Oust May” movement I want to know what we’re likely to end up with afterwards.

[glee]

I agree that May gives a constant impression of weakness and trite slogans (“Brexit means Brexit”.)
However she was handed a truly awful situation by David Cameron’s crass wording of the Referendum.
Given the vicious divisions in her party, she was never going to achieve anything.

Let’s look at some ‘contenders’ for her replacement.

Boris Johnson - lied during the referendum campaign (‘We must stop Turks from entering the country’) and has wasted millions of pounds on failed bridges and unused water cannon.
His stint as Foreign Secretary was marked by repeated gaffes and inappropriate remarks.

Jacob Rees-Mogg - no experience and has backtracked on his Brexit position.

Michael Gove - backstabbed Johnson during leadership campaign and was appalling as Education Secretary.
**
Andrea Leadsom** - dropped out of previous leadership campaign following stupid remark.

None of them have a solution for the Irish border question (even after 3 years of discussion.)
Honestly, it’s just a talentless bunch who are just out for themselves.

[Ravenman]

@Quartz

Did you bother to read my OP? She’s not a leader and that’s it.

She’s not a leader because your OP stated your opinion that she’s not a leader? What a joke of a debate.

[Wrenching_Spanners]

I doubt May would lose a vote of confidence at a Conservative Party Extraordinary General Meeting. She’s got the following things going for her:

1. Party loyalty. Much of the UK electorate dislike Theresa May, but those attending an EGM will be solid party members. Their default attitude will be to be loyal to the party leader.

2. May’s a centrist, at least for the Conservative Party. Hard-core Remainers and no-deal Leavers will be against her, as they were for the December Conservative Party no-confidence vote. However, soft-Brexiters and reluctant Remainers are both likely to continue to support her.

3. It’s unclear who her replacement would be. If the no-confidence vote was instead a head-to-head vote of May versus each of several of the rumoured contenders for her replacement, she’d probably win. I’d put May ahead of Boris Johnson, David Davis, Jeremy Hunt and Justine Greening. May versus a maybe one-of-those is a winning position.

4. Fear of a general election. May’s replacement would almost surely face a vote of no-confidence in Parliament. It’s not clear if the DUP would have confidence in any May replacement. Also, several Conservative MP’s are rumoured to be standing down at the next general election. If a few of them abstain from a no-confidence vote, the replacement government will lose it, and will then have to face a general election while the Conservative Party is still in turmoil. Party loyalists are going to be fearful of such a scenario.

[Quartz]

And it’s on! Telegraph paywalled article here.

A vote on Theresa May’s future among the party’s grassroots supporters which could hasten her departure from office is just weeks away after enough local party chairmen signed a petition supporting it.

The National Conservative Convention, which represents Tory volunteers, now has a duty under the party’s constitution to call an “extraordinary general meeting” to allow a no confidence vote in Mrs May to be held.

<snip>

The ‘no confidence’ vote has been triggered after 70 association chairmen – five more than required under party’s constitution – signed a petition asking Mrs May to “consider her position” as party leader.

[Quartz]

The BBC are now reporting it here.

[Ravenman]

Are you going to answer my question of why in your opinion she isn’t a leader?