Tories delay Theresa May’s showdown with furious members so she can host Donald Trump
TORY party chiefs are to delay Theresa May’s showdown reckoning with furious members to allow her to host Donald Trump.
An unprecedented Emergency General Meeting is due to be called in early June amid a grassroots activists’ revolt over Brexit.
As The Sun revealed yesterday, the PM is to be hauled in front of the 800 constituency chairmen after a petition from 70 of them demanded her resignation for failing to take Britain out of the EU.
But the humiliating confrontation won’t now be until at least the second week of June, The Sun has also learned.
Voluntary party bosses from National Conservative Convention have agreed to pleas from the PM’s allies not to embarrass her ahead of the US President’s first state visit to commemorate D-Day ‘s 75th anniversary, from June 3-5.
The showdown is the first EGM in the party’s 185 year history.
SHOWDOWN DELAYED
Anger among Tory members is so deep with Mrs May ahead of an expected local elections drubbing tomorrow that senior party figures believe she is currently odds on to lose the vote.
A senior Tory source said: “If the vote was held today, the PM would lose by a margin of about 70/30. It really is that bad for her now.
“If she comes and puts up a good fight, it will be a lot closer.”
Though the vote is not binding, losing it would be Mrs May’s deepest humiliation yet and spark overwhelming pressure on her to stand down immediately.
A minimum of 28 days notice to hold the EGM once a venue for it is found.
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CCHQ is holding off from confirming the date for it until after the council polls in a bid to limit bad publicity hurting the Tory vote.
It has also emerged that members of the powerful Tory 1922 executive committee will hold off from demanding a fresh bid to change party rules until after Mr Trump’s state visit to spare the PM’S blushes.
One Tory MP said the PM’s internal party critics will launch their new bid to force a fresh no confidence vote before the 12-month grace period is over after the Tories’ expected drubbing at the May 23 European elections.
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