May faces no-confidence vote after record defeat on Brexit deal

Theresa May has hours to save her premiership as she faces a vote of no confidence which, if successful, could topple the government.

The prime minister will look to her own MPs to back her, after more than a third of them voted down her Brexit deal in the biggest Commons defeat in nearly a century.

She tried to head off the bid to oust her by welcoming the no-confidence vote before it had even been tabled by Jeremy Corbyn.

But the Labour leader's bid will be debated for around six hours in the Commons on Wednesday, culminating in another dramatic vote at around 7pm.

:: How no-confidence vote works

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The motion they will decide on is: "That this house has no confidence in Her Majesty's government."

It is likely to fail - with multiple Tory Brexiteer rebels confirming to Sky News that they will support the prime minister.

The Democratic Unionist Party, who Mrs May relies on to get votes through parliament, have confirmed to Sky News they will also back her.

But if successful, Mrs May's government would fall.

A two-week countdown then kicks in, within which a new government can be formed using the current parliamentary arithmetic.

If none is successful, a general election is triggered.

Mrs May could attempt to cling on and form a new administration, or step down and try to install a new Conservative leader before the deadline.

Mr Corbyn could also attempt to form a new government.

But under both scenarios, using the parties' current numbers of MPs that looks challenging.

One Tory MP said they "know of no Brexiteer" who will vote against the prime minister and predicts she will win "fine".

But Mr Corbyn argues Mrs May must "step-aside" to let Labour take control of the Brexit negotiations.

A Sky Data poll has found that 53% of people think MPs should not vote to bring down the government and 38% said MPs should vote to bring down the government.

Some 61% said the UK was now in a state of crisis.

Both senior Leave and Remain figures have predicted a delay to the UK's exit from the EU following the overwhelming defeat of Mrs May's deal.

Former Conservative foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind told Sky News he was confident the date of Brexit would be delayed from March until July.

Nigel Farage, the former UKIP leader, said he predicted "a stalemate followed by an extension to Article 50".

He told Sky News: "I think and I fear we are headed on a path towards delay and probably, yes, a second vote."

As Europe digests Tuesday's result, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator said the union "profoundly" regrets the outcome and fears "more than ever that there is a risk" of the UK leaving without an agreement.

But Michel Barnier also told the European Parliament that EU leaders "remain united and determined to reach a deal".

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker tweeted on Tuesday night to warn "time is almost up" and urging Britain to "clarify its intentions as soon as possible".

Top bankers are predicting the reaction to Mrs May's defeat actually makes a no-deal Brexit less likely, with more chance of a "softer" or later Brexit - or even no Brexit at all.

"We think the prospect of a disorderly no-deal Brexit has faded further," said Goldman Sachs' European economist Adrian Paul.

He said the investment bank believes "a close variant" of the current deal would ultimately be approved by the House of Commons.

Sky Data interviewed a nationally representative sample of 1,203 Sky customers by SMS after 8pm on 15 January 2019. Data are weighted to the profile of the population. Sky Data is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

For full Sky Data tables, please click here.

:: Follow and watch the confidence vote live with a special programme on Sky News from 6-9pm on Wednesday