British public backs Theresa May to stay as Prime Minister as no confidence vote looms

British people want Theresa May to carry on as Prime Minister, a new poll conducted today has found.

The Prime Minister could be ousted from office this evening as Conservative MPs vote on whether they have confidence in her as their party leader.

40% of British people think that Mrs May should stay, compared to 34% who want her to go.

Conservative voters in particular back her, with 58% saying she should should carry on, compared to 28% who want to get rid of her.

Despite the hostile reaction to Mrs May’s Brexit deal from Eurosceptics, more Leave voters want her to stay on as PM and Tory leader than want her to be replaced, with 45% backing her and 38% opposing.

The support for Mrs May appears to stem from faith in her ability to deliver Brexit compared to any of her colleagues.

Asked whether a new Conservative leader would be able to negotiate a better Brexit deal, the majority of people, 57%, of people said no, compared to just 18% who think another Tory could do a better job.

Conservatives will vote between 6 and 8pm today on whether they support Mrs May. If she loses, a new leadership race will be triggered.

So far the majority of Tory MPs have publicly declared their support for the PM, suggesting she is heading for a victory in the crunch ballot.

However the voting is anonymous, and MPs could bring down the PM without revealing they have done so.

Mrs May vowed this morning to ‘fight on with everything I’ve got’ after the news of the no confidence vote broke.

Speaking outside Downing Street, she warning that pushing her out would risk a delay to Brexit.

Just before the beginning of the vote the Prime Minister addressed a meeting of her MPs, during which she pledged not to lead the party into the next General Election, sources say.