What is a vote of no confidence in the government?
There is speculation that MPs could call for a vote of no confidence in the government, to try to stop a no-deal Brexit on 31 October. But what is it and what happens if the government loses? What is a no confidence vote? It's a vote in which MPs from all parties decide whether they want the government to continue.
When was the last time a no confidence vote was used?
Motions of no confidence in the United Kingdom. A no confidence vote was last successfully used on 28 March 1979, when the minority government of James Callaghan was defeated in a confidence motion which read "That this House has no confidence in Her Majesty's Government". A no confidence vote can have the effect of uniting the ruling party;
What happens if the opposition wins a vote of no-confidence?
The most recent confidence vote instigated by the opposition was held on 16 January 2019, with the government prevailing. Defeat of a motion of no-confidence (or winning a vote of confidence) does not provide protection to the government in power for any specific length of time.
What is a confidence motion in the UK?
In the United Kingdom, confidence motions are a means of testing the support of the government (executive) in a legislative body, and for the legislature to remove the government from office. A confidence motion may take the form of either a vote of confidence,...
What is a vote of no confidence?
A vote of no confidence decides whether or not a political leader, or in this case party, still has the support of their government.
What happens if the party leader loses the vote?
If the political leader loses the vote of no confidence, they must resign from the post, forcing a leadership election within the party.
Could there be a general election?
Even if a vote of no confidence were to result in the Prime Minister being ousted, it would not necessarily lead to a general election being called.
What is the 1922 Committee and how does it work?
The group, which is formally known as the Conservative Private Members' Committee, is the body which represents backbench Tory MPs. It acts as a forum for the rank and file to liaise with the government and plays a crucial role in organising Tory leadership elections.
How many MPs voted against the motion of no confidence?
The government survived the January 2019 vote. 325 MPs voted against the motion of no confidence, compared with 306 in favour. This meant the House continued to express confidence in the government. Crucially, the government retained the support of the Democratic Unionist Party, and Conservative MPs from the pro-Brexit “European Research Group” in ...
What is the motion of no confidence?
Calling a motion of no confidence is one of two ways that an early general election can be triggered , under the terms of ...
What happens if the majority of MPs vote in favour of the motion?
If a majority of MPs vote in favour of the motion, then the government will be dissolved.
Can a no confidence vote be called at any time?
Despite surviving the vote, the Institute for Government told us another no confidence vote could still be called at any time. This is different to the process used for a no confidence vote within the Conservative Party, where the leader cannot be challenged for a year if they survive a vote of no confidence from Conservative MPs ...
When was the last confidence vote?
The most recent confidence vote instigated by the opposition was held on 16 January 2019, with the government prevailing. Defeat of a motion of no-confidence (or winning a vote of confidence) does not provide protection to the government in power for any specific length of time. MPs from any political party may propose another vote immediately, ...
What happens when a vote of confidence is defeated?
When such a motion is put to a vote in the legislature, if a vote of confidence is defeated, or a vote of no confidence is passed, then the incumbent government must resign, or call a general election. It is a fundamental principle of the British constitution that the government must retain the confidence of the legislature, ...
What is the difference between a confidence motion and a motion of no confidence?
Although there is no commonly accepted and comprehensive definition of a confidence motion, it is possible to identify confidence motions from their timing, the speakers and the terms of the motion. Motions of confidence are supportive of the government whereas motions of no confidence are unsupportive of the government.
What is a confidence motion?
In the United Kingdom, confidence motions are a means of testing the support of the government (executive) in a legislative body, and for the legislature to remove the government from office. A confidence motion may take the form of either a vote of confidence, usually put forward by the government, or a vote of no confidence (or censure motion ), usually proposed by the opposition. When such a motion is put to a vote in the legislature, if a vote of confidence is defeated, or a vote of no confidence is passed, then the incumbent government must resign, or call a general election.
How many votes of confidence have been made since 1945?
Since 1945 there have been three votes of confidence and 23 of no confidence. Confidence motions fall into three categories: Explicit motions initiated by the Government. Explicit motions initiated by the Opposition. Motions which can be regarded as issues of confidence because of particular circumstances.
What is a censure motion?
The term censure motion can also refer a category of motion which does not attempt to remove the government. Prior to the Fixed-term Parliament Act, losing such confidence could result in a general election; now an explicit motion is required for this.
What is the principle of the British Constitution?
It is a fundamental principle of the British constitution that the government must retain the confidence of the legislature, as it is not possible for a government to operate effectively without the support of the majority of the people's representatives. At the national level, this means that the UK government ...
Examples of vote of no confidence in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web In 1992, when the economy had soured, Americans effectively cast a vote of no confidence in George H.W. Bush’s capacity to restore prosperity. — Jonathan Martin, New York Times, 8 Apr.
First Known Use of vote of no confidence
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What Is A Vote of No Confidence?
- A vote of no confidence decides whether or not a political leader, or in this case party, still has the support of their government. Under Conservative party rules, a vote is triggered if 15% of them – which in the case of the Tories is 54 MPs , out of 360 in the Party – write to the chairman of the 1922 backbench committee. The letter requesting a...
What Happens If The Party Leader Loses The Vote?
- If the political leader loses the vote of no confidence, they must resign from the post, forcing a leadership election within the party. However, at least 50% of MPs would need to vote for their leader to go, in order to win the vote of no confidence. If this doesn’t happen, their leader will remain in power – unless of course they themselves choose to resign – and MPs cannot table a…
Could There Be A General Election?
- Even if a vote of no confidence were to result in the Prime Minister being ousted, it would not necessarily lead to a general election being called. In the event that the PM goes, MPs would then call a contest to determine their next leader – with candidates being gradually whittled down over a couple of months before the final two are put to the vote of their party members. The only circ…