Theresa May’s government faces a vote of confidence on Wednesday, 16 January. Sputnik looks at past UK prime ministers who have struggled to cling on to power and have faced such votes of confidence.
On Tuesday, 15 January, MPs voted by 432 to 202 to reject Theresa May’s deal to exit the European Union.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn immediately tabled a motion of no confidence, which is being debated on Wednesday and will be voted on at around 7pm GMT.
When was the last time a UK prime minister faced such a vote of no confidence?
The Labour Party won a General Election in 1974 under Harold Wilson but he retired two years later, leaving his former Chancellor, James — better known as Jim — Callaghan, in 10 Downing Street.
Wilson had a majority of three in October 1974 but it was whittled away by by-election defeats and the bizarre case of Labour backbencher John Stonehouse, who faked his own death in Florida and fled to Australia to start a new life with his mistress.
— Steve h (@fredchampions19) 12 December 2018
By 1977 Labour could only hold on to power by virtue of a confidence and supply agreement with the Liberals, known as the Lib-Lab Pact.
That too collapsed in 1978 and Callaghan hobbled on through the winter, facing growing economic difficulties. A string of strikes led to it being known as the « Winter of Discontent » and it was the final nail in the coffin of Callaghan’s government.
On March 28,1979 a motion of no confidence in Callaghan was tabled in the House of Commons.
Labour MP Sir Alfred Broughton, 76, was on his deathbed.
Callaghan considered bringing him down from Yorkshire in an ambulance but thought it would be bad publicity if he died on the way.
— Willie Eckerslike ❄ (@cit_collins) 10 December 2018
In the end, the vote of no confidence was passed by 311 votes to 310, with Broughton one of four abstentions. He died five days later.
Callaghan was forced to go to the country and in May Labour were swept from office by Margaret Thatcher and her resurgent Conservative Party.
Labour would not get back into office for another 18 years.
