A leadership contest!

Interesting that not all the 48 letter writers have owned up - cowards! What a bunch.

I have to say May reminded me of a defiant Thatcher, all power suit and gobstopper necklace.

The Tories yet again indulging in fratricide - if Brexit weren't so serious I'd be enjoying the spectacle. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch

It would have been so rewarding if those in government, elected to carry out the will of the people, had behaved in a united manner that would have got us through this situation in the best way. No chance, of course from the self seeking and those with another agenda. Instead, we have relentless party politics, sniping, the usual 'Ner ner' playground behaviour and the end result is this shameful impasse. Whatever you think of Theresa May and her party, she was handed a poisoned chalice - and she was a 'Remainer' - but she got out there and did her best, and has worked flat out for two years with an ever increasingly hostile situation at home. This was always going to be a bloody, medieval style public execution with all the trimmings - the EU could not afford to let us go without a savaging as there are other countries that are watching and waiting. I can see a scenario developing now where we are going to get Jeremy Corbin as Prime Minister and Brexit cancelled. Peace and goodwill to all men....I fear not.

If we had been given access to the correct information before we were asked to vote we could have perhaps made an informed decision.
If the government had laid out a concise plan for leaving or staying, that may have also been a help .
Our government were caught on the hop with no plan for leaving as they didn't expect the vote to go the way it did .
Such incompetence , were it someone like you or I , would have seen us receive a severe reprimand, or the sack .

maggiemay and kitty....just what I think too.
I think the whole country can see exactly how self serving all are now in Parliament, and yes, that definitely includes Labour as they are equally immersed in only doing what suits them ( a power grab in their case) and they have no credible Brexit plan to put forward just a load of impossible
Things on a wish list, what a shower they all are.
Remainers on all sides doing their level best not to honour the referendum results unless of course they can have another referendum ( which if it came out in favour of staying in the EU, then they would honour it!)
Tory hard Brexiters doing their level best to get us out without a deal.....do all these MP’s really think that we the public won’t know how they are acting?
What may well come out of this, whichever way Brexit now goes, is a centrist party made up of both Conservative and Labour MP’s, which would be a good thing for the future.

I hope she is voted out. On Conservative manifesto she promised out of SM and out of CU. She then immediately signed deal keeping us in CU. I hop a strong Brexiteer gets in power and either leaves with WTO deal so we can do free trade deals without hindrance from CU or negotiates a good deal for UK.

I emailed my MP about Brexit and received a patronising stock response. DS spoke to him before the last election and was furious about his attitude to something which DS is passionate about. I won't vote for him next time but I will tell him why. I may not vote for any of them (it only encourages them!) but, if not, I will write I Abstain across the paper.

Listening to the news in bed this morning was just so depressing, our politics, Trump's shenanigans, Gunman in France, even Sky pulling out of sponsoring cycling after so much success. I don't dare look at the financial data! Thoroughly fed up with it all.

T May has worked tirelessly on getting a good deal ever since the disastrous GE, but because of that GE and a lost majority she has always been on a hiding to nothing with the EU negotiators.It was her misjudgement in that GE that led to all this, coupled with arrogant MP’s on all sides.

The way I see it if we Hard brexit (ie WTO rules) we have to choose between a border between Eire and N.Ireland, or splitting N.Ireland off from the UK and having a border in the Irish Sea. Either one of those will cause huge political fallout. Which member of parliament can change that fact? If May goes, her replacement will have to face that same fact.

I am sitting here staggered that the country is in such a shambolic free fall....
Woke up this morning wondering what the silly c@w had done overnight....
Great... Vote of no confidence..
Had hoped she would be mega courageous MEGA COURAGEOUS and withdrawn us from Article 50 and back as we were.... But no... Intent on dragging it out and continuing the countries misery and downward cycle ....
What an utter Tory induced shambles with tacit support from a supine labour...

I'm sorry for TM - she was never going to win with her group of smug, self-satisfied MPs (on both sides). I'd hoped that by a miracle she would hang on, if only because I'm scared to death of the alternatives - BoJo the Clown, Gove or JRM, or, on the other side, Corbyn? All equally rotten to the core - I was a staunch Labour Party member, but now totally disenfranchised. I disapprove of theTrade Unions telling politicians how to vote. At rock bottom I believe in the Common Market as a trading bloc and a chance for our young people to study abroad, learn languages, travel etc, not to be ruled by a European Parliament telling us what to do. Don't know what the outcome will be, but not looking forward to the immediate future for the UK.

According to the Sunday Times there is no front runner in the leadership stakes but Boris is more popular than the others assumed to be challenging for the role. They were right about Tuesday's vote being cancelled so maybe they are right about this. I might actually like watching him trying to get a better deal, because imo he will fail. Surely the reason he left the cabinet was because he knew they couldn't deliver what he promised?

Can you just imagine Laura K reminding him of all his promises and asking him where they are in his deal?

I couldn't agree more!!!

I don't know why anyone is surprised it's classic Tory behaviour. Look how Maggie went and arguably she was much more successful than Mrs May. She still got stabbed in the back. I think it's hilarious and actually a bit predictable. Boris and Mr Gove have been appearing on TV very much reconstructed men.

Exactly what Luckygirl said! I can't stand her or her party and she's been proved to be a liar and can't be trusted. It also bugs me that she plays ' I'm a Christian' card. What Christian would allow children, to go hungry?

And can you ladies and gentlemen possibly imagine how we feel over here? No-one in the UK gives a toss. The French Minister of Immigration has given us more comfort than what was previously our own government. From now on, we know where our loyalties lie.

We’re in a bind. It’s said that only a Norway+ deal could get a majority in Parliament. Brexiters say that is worse than staying in. But Parliament insists staying in would be a breach of faith. So, on that basis it’s impossible to make anyone happy. Best answer is to cancel Article 50 and Brexit and get on with the many issues that really matter. Like making a decent life for everyone a reality. And taking real action on global warming.

Only somebody who doesn’t give two hoots about their country would think anything is ‘hilarious’ Trisher about this matter.
Is all you really care about getting that clot Corbyn in power I wonder? Because it’s all that he cares about, that is quite apparent.

Nonnie I believe Boris is more popular in public opinion polls but I am not so sure he is among the conservative party members who are eligible to vote for the leader. I would be horrified if he ever became PM

Completely agree, counterpoint.

I feel this is typical of all politicians. The first sniff of blood and the pack mentality of the vampires comes into play.

I seem to recall the Conservatives did the same to Thatcher.

Or maybe it's peculiar to the Tories? (I don't think it is though)

For them to pull this stupid stunt at such a crucial time shows that they are thinking only of themselves and not of the country.

The Americans have Trump to thank for their country being an international laughing stock. We have the Conservative party, with Labour and others lining up behind to take up the cudgels

I'm not sure that a coalition is the answer. I don't think the last one was a roaring success. I have no clue what the answer IS though. I can't see any other politician being fit to step into May's shoes, and I can't see another party being any more fit to run the country and complete these Brexit negotiations.

We are in a right old mess. I blame the EU for the present debacle. If they had negotiated with Cameron when he went to them to get a better deal for the UK, we would not have had the referendum and we'd not be in this godawful situation now.

Is all you really care about getting that clot Corbyn in power I wonder? Because it’s all that he cares about, that is quite apparent.

Lemon isn't that the raison d'etre of every politician, particularly a party leader?

I can’t believe people are still talking about Brexit in terms of free trade or wonderful new trade deals. With whom? Through the EU we already have trade deals (or are negotiating them) with most of the world. And free trade just isn’t the issue. It’s non-tariff barriers that are the issue.

lemon how you can equate laughing at the Tory party and their political assasinations with anti- Britishness I have no idea. Arguably the party are just proving that they carry their philosophy and policies into every area i.e. every man( or woman) for himself and the weak go to the wall. And actually that's quite good to know.
I happen to think that Britain is best served by a party that cares about all its people and not one that sacrifices some to enrich others. So yes I do see the Labour Party as a better option.

TM has proved to be so much stronger than anybody could have imagined. OK not to agree with her politics but still admire her tenacity for keeping going when everybody has been plotting against her and she's been fighting a losing battle from the start.
What surprises me is that no remainers mention how the other 27 countries might treat us if it's decided after all that we stay in the EU. Just look at how we've been treated during the negotiations!

knspol I think there is little love lost between any of the countries. We're all rivals, underneath. But staying in, we have as many rights as any other member state and that cannot change just because we're disliked or resented for our referendum. I think Britain has been a bit of a thorn in the side of the EU for some time, as we have a habit of vetoing some of their pet projects. Also, those who don't want a European army, had better stay in and veto it, because without us in to veto it, there IS going to be a European army - and we won't be in it.