UK Prime Minister Theresa May might soon have to deal with a motion of no-confidence courtesy of her fellow party members, according to British media reports.
As BBC journalist Laura Kuenssberg tweeted on Monday, Conservative Party lawmakers have allegedly reached the required number of letters to force a no-confidence vote, addin, however, that there’s no way to confirm it at this time.
Whispers Tory MP s have reached the magic number of the 48 letters required to force a confidence vote — no way of knowing yet if true — meeting at 5.30
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) July 9, 2018
HuffPost UK executive editor Paul Vaugh described these rumors as "unfounded."
Wild rumours that the 48 letter threshold needed for a confidence vote has been passed. I'm told that such rumours are unfounded.
— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) July 9, 2018
BBC correspondent Iain Watson also tweeted that the 1922 Committee hasn't yet received the required amount of letters.
I am told 1922 committee chairman Graham Brady made it clear that the 48 signatures that would start a leadership contest hadn’t been received
— iain watson (@iainjwatson) July 9, 2018
The speculations about the vote have arisen as two members of May’s cabinet, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit Secretary David Davis, resigned on July 9.
READ MORE: Brexit: Civil War Could Develop Within the Conservative Party – Commentator
As per British legislation, in order to initiate a motion of no-confidence against May, at least 15 percent of Tory MPs (currently 48) need to write letters to the chairman of the 1922 Committee who may then call the vote.
The procedure was last used in 2003 in order to oust the then leader of the Conservative Party, Iain Duncan Smith.
