Downing Street rules out parliament time for Corbyn's 'stunt' no-confidence motion in May

Theresa May will meet with her cabinet to reportedly discuss ramping up plans for a no-deal Brexit after accusing Jeremy Corbyn of a no-confidence "stunt".

The Labour leader's no-confidence motion will not be granted parliamentary time for debate, Downing Street sources said, branding the move a "stunt".

She won support in the Commons, with her Brexiteer MPs and DUP members saying they would have backed her.

Several papers report that Tuesday's cabinet meeting will focus on extending no-deal preparations, with 101 days to go until the 29 March exit date.

Mr Corbyn tabled a motion of no-confidence in Mrs May on Monday over her failure to allow MPs to have a vote "straight away" on her Brexit deal.

He acted after the prime minister earlier told MPs the "meaningful vote" on her agreement with Brussels will be held in the week beginning 14 January.

Mrs May previously delayed a parliamentary showdown on her Brexit deal this month after admitting she was heading for defeat.

Announcing his no-confidence motion to the House of Commons, Mr Corbyn said it was "unacceptable" that MPs will still have to wait "almost a month" to have their say on the UK's withdrawal agreement.

However, the Labour leader's bid to force a no-confidence vote in Mrs May appeared to falter as the government rejected his demand to allow MPs time to debate his motion.

Downing Street instead challenged Mr Corbyn to table a more meaningful no-confidence motion aimed at the government as a whole and under the terms of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act.

This could prompt a general election if the government lost but - despite pressure from other opposition parties to do so - Mr Corbyn refused to say whether he would upgrade his motion.

His attempts to put Mrs May under further pressure over her Brexit deal also stalled after the Labour leader's threat to the prime minister saw Tory eurosceptics and the DUP rally behind her.

Despite having submitted a letter of no confidence in Mrs May to Conservative officials earlier this year, ex-Brexit minister Steve Baker suggested the prime minister's success in winning a confidence vote over her leadership of the Tories last week had shifted attitudes.

He said: "Eurosceptic Conservatives are clear that we accept the democratic decision of our party to have confidence in Theresa May as PM.

"We will vote against Labour in any confidence motion."

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the chair of the European Research Group of Tory Brexiteers, also announced Mrs May had regained his confidence following last week's vote.

In addition, the DUP offered their backing to Mrs May, despite still being vehemently opposed to the backstop arrangement included in the prime minister's Brexit deal.

Nigel Dodds, the Westminster leader of the Northern Irish party, told Sky News: "We wouldn't be supporting that [Labour] motion, we don't think it's the right time.

"It's a bit of parliamentary theatrics and game-playing."

It is understood the DUP will wait for the meaningful vote on the prime minister's Brexit deal before deciding whether to preserve their confidence and supply agreement with the Tories, which currently keeps the Conservative government in office.

The prime minister has promised to win extra "assurances" from the EU on the Brexit backstop plan, including how the UK can prevent being left permanently in the arrangement, which is aimed at avoiding a hard Irish border.

A DUP source said the party "need to give her the space to get the changes she has promised us".

Mr Corbyn was criticised for targeting the prime minister with a no-confidence motion rather than the whole government on Monday.

SNP leader and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: "Labour tabling a motion just in the PM rather than in the entire government begs the question, which Tory do they want to see as PM?"

The SNP, Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and Green MP Caroline Lucas later tabled an amendment to Mr Corbyn's no-confidence motion in an attempt to make it a no-confidence motion in the government.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said: "It's clear that Jeremy Corbyn is using every subterfuge possible to avoid the responsibility of pushing a real motion of no confidence in the government.

"He seems more interested in installing a new Tory prime minister in Downing Street than in the general election he keeps talking about."

Mr Corbyn's decision to push for a no-confidence vote in Mrs May came during a day of confusion on Labour's stance.

It had earlier been briefed Mr Corbyn would threaten such a move if the prime minister did not announce the date for a vote on her Brexit deal "immediately".

However, when the prime minister used a statement to the Commons on last week's EU summit to do so - which Mr Corbyn saw in advance - he failed to follow through with his threat.

Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell subsequently told Sky News the "whole purpose" of his party's action was to secure a date for the meaningful vote on Mrs May's Brexit deal.

Then, to the surprise of many in Westminster, Mr Corbyn tabled a no-confidence motion in the prime minister anyway after she had answered questions from MPs for the best part of two-and-a-half hours.

The Labour leader later explained: "I was so angry at the way the prime minister had dismissed calls from MPs of all parties demanding that a vote take place this week, before the Christmas recess, on her Brexit deal."