The Catch-up: The plot to oust Theresa May within 48 hours

What happened?

Tory Brexiteers have launched a bid to unseat Theresa May by Wednesday in a bid to force the UK to leave the EU without a deal on Friday. Rebel MP Mark Francois masterminded the plan, demanding a non-binding vote of confidence in Mrs May’s leadership. He said if MPs voted against Mrs May she would be placed under immense pressure to quit. As it stands, the UK is due to leave the EU on 12 April unless another extension is granted.

Will it work?

A successful vote of no confidence in Theresa May would not be legally binding, meaning the PM could chose to ignore it. While this would be highly unusual, Mrs May has so far weathered an extremely rocky premiership without caving to pressure to quit. The PM survived an official vote of no confidence in her leadership in December, meaning the process cannot be triggered for another year.

What does this mean for Brexit?

The latest in a long line of Brexiteer revolts, Mr Francois’ attempt to push Mrs May out of the door demonstrates the deep unease over her Brexit strategy. The PM has reached out to Labour in an attempt to come up with a plan to break the Brexit deadlock, which Eurosceptics fear will mean a move towards a soft Brexit. Mrs May suggested she might soften her red lines yesterday when she released a video saying that talks will mean ‘compromise on both sides’.

The EU will decide on Wednesday whether or not there has been enough progress in the talks to merit another short Brexit extension. If they say no, the UK will leave without a deal on Friday.

Read more:
What is a customs union and why does it matter? (PA)
PM to meet Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel (Sky News)
Tory Brexiteer Mark Francois pens furious letter on… pretty much everything (HuffPost)
Should Labour support a second referendum? (The Guardian)

The British public’s view of its political system has fallen to a new low, a study has warned. The annual Hansard Society audit of political engagement found that nearly three-quarters of people felt the UK’s system of governing needed “quite a lot” or “a great deal” of improvement. At 72%, this is the highest level in the 15 years the audits have been published – worse than the previous peak of 69% in the 2010 study taken in the aftermath of MPs’ expenses scandal and the financial crisis. Do you agree that the UK political system needs improvement? Read the full story and have your say below:

Girl arrested after newborn baby found dead

A murder probe has been launched after the death of a newborn baby. Police said a 15-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of murder, but has since been released pending further inquiries. The baby was discovered at around 8.40am at a house in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, on March 24 after concerns for its welfare. The force said the youngster’s next of kin and the coroner have been informed. Read the full story here (Yahoo News UK)

Social media companies face new fines

Social media bosses will face being held personally liable for harmful content on their sites under new Government plans. The measures form part of a new government plan to make the UK a world leader in internet safety. Campaigners have been calling for new regulation following the growth of fake news, cyber bullying and terror-related content on the internet. Read the full story here (Sky News).

A woman from New Zealand has gained attention after she was spotted walking 15 dogs in Wellington recently. Dog walker Emma Turley was caught on camera by James Buchan hard at work, and it wasn’t long before she and her “wolf pack” were picked up by local media. Turley said in an interview with Newshub that she has been walking dogs for nine years, but started off on a much smaller scale. She has four dogs of her own and said that she can walk 10-15 pooches depending on the day.

£12.50

Motorists may have to pay more to drive into London after a new charge came into force in a bid to combat air pollution. Drivers of older, more polluting vehicles are liable in the move which London Mayor Sadiq Khan said would “help clean our air and reduce harmful road transport emissions.” The new fee for the “ultra-low emission zone” is on top of the congestion charge, which is £11.50 between 7am and 6pm on weekdays. Read the full story here. (Evening Standard)