this programme contains scenes of repetitive flashing images. tonight the prime minister's fate is being decided. conservative mps have just begun voting on whether she should stay or go. in the last hour theresa may has addressed tory mps at a highly emotional, private meeting. she told them she's dertermined to deliver brexit but would not lead the conservative party into the next general election. this morning as news broke of the leadership challenge the prime minister spoke to the nation and vowed to fight on and secure brexit. delivering the brexit people voted for, building a country that works for everyone, i have devoted myself unsparingly to these tasks ever since i became prime minister and i stand ready to finish the job. tension, division and uncertainty in westminster tonight as theresa may's leadership is under intense pressure. theresa may spent weeks and weeks telling us this is the best deal she could possibly get. she has no credibility left in the house, she has no credibility left in the country and she has no credibility left with

the european union as a negotiator. with brexit just over three months away, we'll be looking at the impact this leadership challenge could have on us leaving the european union. also, on tonight's programme: almost 2a hours on, a gunman is still on the run after killing three people at a christmas market in france. and donald trump's former lawyer gets three years in jail over hush money payments to women who'd claimed they'd had affairs with mr trump. and coming up on bbc news: in sport, what next for team sky? the future is in doubt after sky opts to end its sponsorship after a decade of success. good evening from an extraordinary day in westminster where

conservative members of parliament are deciding the fate of the prime minister after at least 48 of them challenged her leadership and called for a vote of confidence. as the news broke this morning, theresa may stood defiant in downing street and vowed to fight efforts to remove her with everything she's got. she warned that a change of prime minister would put the uk's future at risk and could delay or even halt brexit. publicly a majority of tory mps have said they'll back her, but this is a secret ballot. until it's counted no—one can be sure. there are 317 conservative mps who have just started to vote on her fate. the result is expected quickly — sometime before 9pm tonight. she needs support from 159 of her mps to survive. if she gets that, theresa may is safe from any future challenge for another year. but if she loses, a leadership contest is triggered and she cannot be part of it.

theresa may has been talking to conservative mps at the highly emotional meeting. the prime minister again said she wanted to deliver brexit, but will not lead the party into the next general election. our political editor laura kuenssberg has our first report tonight. a podium on the move, something big is about to happen. with 107 days is about to happen. with107 days until brexit, number ten is ready for something else. it is this man who had bad news for theresa may. after months of argument is now an actual assault on her leadership. after months of argument is now an actual assault on her leadershipm is for me to inform and consult with the prime minister and i did that over the telephone last night, and then to proceed with the ballot as $0011 then to proceed with the ballot as 50011 as then to proceed with the ballot as soon as is reasonably practical. so the prime minister has to fight her own colleagues to keep herjob.

the prime minister has to fight her own colleagues to keep herjoblj will contest that vote with everything i've got. and at this crucial i think we are yet to hear from a public criticism of the prime minister, from somebody other than the usual suspects so we know that the usual suspects so we know that the eurosceptic group have for a while had serious reservation about her brexit policy and the criticisms we have seen have come from them and not any figures. given 110 mps are out there, voting against the deal she has put before them, you would think there would be quite a significant vote that does go against her. possibly but remember there is different things they will think about. first is whether not trying to get her to change the policy is the better option, who is her successor has to have a vision for the future of brexit and there will be a few who are worried about who could come to the fore,

conservative leadership contests can be volatile. they have to go the membership, so they will be calculating what are the risks involved, what is the likelihood of a different brexit outcome and what is the likelihood a general election? looking at a tweet from george free man, who has been loyal. he said there was a powerful and moving moment in the 1922 committee when theresa may addressed the mp, she said she has heard, listened and respects of party, she will step aside for the election of a new leader, that pledge to go, before the next election will have have brought some of the mps across?|j think brought some of the mps across?” think so, i was speaking to mps this morning and they were connoisseured if she was given a mandate to stay she might go on and on to use thatcher's expression, what we saw is number ten thoughing the kitchen sink at this. her spokesman said she wouldn't fight the next election.

she has said that twice. we saw the conservative whip has been restored to two members that were suspended to two members that were suspended to make sure every vote can be secured to get her through this. uppermost in her mind must be, uppermost in the minds of the conservative mps must be the tweets we have had from sammy wilson and the dup, they can't support this deal, if they don't support the deal and she pledges to crack on with it they don't have a majority. they don't but that doesn't stop them being able to govern. what they are trying to look for a majority to get the deal through, whether she looks elsewhere for the vote, she still has a core of her party who are unlikely to vote for the deal whatever she does so she has to find the votes from somewhere. it won't just be down to the dup. she is sending signals she is going to try again. what she comes out with i don't know. the dup will be playing ha rd don't know. the dup will be playing hard ball, this is their final opportunity to get something happening with this. a no confidence vote stops all of that happening for

this as well. we are hearing different things from dup member, jeffrey donaldson says there is not a backstop that is the problem overall. it is not clear what changes the prime minister might be able to secure to bring the dup back onboard. 0k. able to secure to bring the dup back onboard. ok. stay with me, we are going to go ore the road and speak to vicki young, who has been watching events over there, and vicky, sounds like there was an impassioned speech from the prime minister this evening. yes, she went in there and reportedly said to them in her heart she would have liked to have led the party into the 2022 general election, she accepts that is not what some in her own party wa nts is not what some in her own party wants so she is promising to stand down before that moment, and she says sler much focussed on delivering brexit. let us talk to somebody in the room. the conservative mp, who are on the euro skip tick wing, what did you make of what she had to say to you? so, the

problem is that she said she will step down before the 2022 election, but the issue is for now, she can't command the confidence of the house of commons, and the dup who have a confidence and supply arrangement with for her main business, her main policy, she has insisted it is the only way of doing it. now, that means that it may, it may come that there is not the confidence motion that can be defeated earlier than 2022, and colleagues in that room, i think need to think really really ha rd think need to think really really hard about whether they really want to go into such an election with her as the leader, because there are many colleagues with marginal seats, who in the context of the leader, through her policy having abandoned ma nifesto through her policy having abandoned manifesto promises, abandoned the biggest popular vote in democratic

history in the uk by going against the referendum and not getting us out of the customs union, out of the single market, these are, this is a very very bad context, in which to have a general election, and a lot of people will lose their seats and i think it is very difficult to support her, she didn't really come up support her, she didn't really come up with anything new, she just said... iwas up with anything new, she just said... i was going to ask you about the brexit policy itself. that is what you have an issue with, as well as with her leadership. what would you have liked to have here, how is she saying she will deliver brexit she said she will try harder in the future to involve more people in developing the policy, but i know from personally having gone in and out of downing street, constantly between sort of september, last year, and may, june this year, trying to get them to focus on the practical solutions to have a positive outcome to this, that they just are not interested in other

people's points of view, so isn't the definition of madness that you keep doing the same thing and expect a different result? i wonder how, well, i don't think she held the room with that plan, that wasn't really a plan, it was more of a feeling as to what she might need to do to persuade enough people to vote for her tonight. whatever happens tonight i think she will not be able tonight i think she will not be able to command the confidence of the house for this type of brexit that she has been trying to pursue. quickly, do you think she will win? i don't know. it is notoriously difficult to predict, shall we say electorate. it is the conservative party parliamentary party in the middle of a leadership election is notorious for not necessarily bp being open about what it plans to do. you obviously will be voting against her, you have made it very clear you are not happy with her leadership but what does it achieve, there will be lots of people from

outside, voters saying this is com pletely outside, voters saying this is completely self—indulgent. this doesn't solve anything but changing the person at the top, because the parliamentary numbers stay the same. it comes down to what i was saying before, it is so important that we have the right leader in place, so we can set out the positive plan that we have for a self governing and free trading future for the uk around i think if that can be done and we can rally round the alternative text of the northern ireland protocol we put on the table, today, which we have been working on for many months, talking to the european commission about, these are things that are possible, but we have to have a government that asks for them, and the people of the uk just won't forgive us in the longer term, if we give up our independence, oursovereignty, the longer term, if we give up our independence, our sovereignty, if the longer term, if we give up our independence, oursovereignty, if we go back on our manifesto promise, these are such fundamental issue, and all this talk that it will take forever to get a new leader

organised, i don't buy that, we can compress, we can compress the process , compress, we can compress the process, get this done and go back to the eu, and have a great future as theirfriend, as to the eu, and have a great future as their friend, as two independent jurisdiction, trading with each other and being allies and friends. thank you very much indeed. so different interpretations of what went on inside that room and we will find out round nine okph this evening what's happened with that vote. vicky, thank you very much. dominic grieve the conservative mp and former attorney general has joined me here, i know you haven't voted yet so we won't cope you long. tell us yet so we won't cope you long. tell us if she wins tonight, which seems to be the assumption, does that solve the problem for the conservative party? no, it doesn't because the problem isn't her leadership, the problem is inherent in the challenge that brexit has produced for us, we have been given an instruction by a majority of the electorate, the prime minister has gone out and done her best to

negotiate a brexit that minimises the economic risks which leaving the eu entails and at the end she has come along with a deal which looked at by parliament and many colleague, whether they are levers or remainor, can see that it is flawed. for me, asa can see that it is flawed. for me, as a remainor, it highlights starkly that leaving the eu is full of disadvantages and frankly we would be better staying in, for some of my colleague, they have a view about what brexit will deliver, which is not reflected in this deal, and therefore, they don't want it. i have to say i think their view and vision of brexit is a fantasy, but thatis vision of brexit is a fantasy, but that is what they believe. but they are supported by the majority, that is what the country voted for? yes, what did the country vote for? you ta ke what did the country vote for? you take my point. abstract theres they would say they are representing the people. i have never described my brexit supporting colleagues as extremist, i think they are misguided and the problems this

country is heading towards are great. if the public really want the leave on the prime ministers terms leave on the prime ministers terms leave me must. we have to put that to them and give them the choice, because that is what democracy is about. that risk we are running at the moment is until we come face to face with our own responsibility in this, we are never going to solve the problem over the road because of the problem over the road because of the divisions in parliament.“ the problem over the road because of the divisions in parliament. if she win there's is a feeling she can't be challenged for another year, there is a feeling she won't be pulled in policy terms by the erg and the eurosceptic, because she will have that much more power. come the end of tonight. i hope that may be the case, because i happen to think the erg have been pulling her ina think the erg have been pulling her in a direction that is leading to a dead end but we will have to see, there are all sorts of imponderable, what i am certain about is getting rid of her serves no useful purpose at all. and further more she is

entitle to my support and i will do my best to give it to her while remaining a critic of the policy which i don't agree with. so you are going to vote for her, do you not worry with her as leader and which this plan she doesn't appear to be abandoning you don't have the support of the dup you don't have a majority. i think that is right, and the dup's position is very clear on the dup's position is very clear on the northern ireland backstop. and thatis the northern ireland backstop. and that is why i am afraid i think that the deal that has been brought to parliament, i don't know what she will be able to negotiate at the european council meeting but i think it is unlikely to get there the house, the sooner we get through that stage of considering whatever deal we have got, only then can we move on, yes, these are lots of risks involved in this, but at the same time there should be a way through it if we are prepared to start debating properly. if and when she wins and she goes to brussels for the summit, what does she need to do? i have no objection her going

to do? i have no objection her going to brussels pointing out to them the difficulty which the withdrawal deal pose, and asking our eu partners if they are prepared to change it. i personally don't think they will, but i don't object to the prime minister making that requests and she is entitled to come back to the commons and tell us where she thinks matters stand. but on the assumption that she is not able to get any significant movement, which i think is very probable, then we can'tjust delay considering the day deal she has and which she offered to the house last week, we have to get that conclude and concluded before christmas. good of you to talk to us, we will let you go and vote. thank you. so as i say, the voting will go on for two hours this evening, the ballot closes at 8.00, so they vote in this committee room 14, so they vote in this committee room 1a, over the road in the house of commons, the votes will be counted in committee room 13, and the chair of the 19 1922 committee sir graham

braid disays that he will give us the results somewhere, we think round 9.00, this evening. we have sorted out the gremlins so let us hear the report from laura kuenssberg. a podium on the move, something big is about to happen. with 107 days is about to happen. with107 days until brexit, number ten ready for something else. because this man had bad news for theresa may. after months of argument, now an actual awe assault on her leadership. it is for me to inform and consultant with the prime minister, i did that over the telephone last night, and then to proceed with the ballot as soon adds is reasonably practicable. so the prime minister has to fight her own colleagues. to keep herjob. i will contest that vote with everything i've got. and at this crucial moment, in our history, that means securing a brexit deal, that delivers on the result of the eu

referendum. referendum. weeks spent tearing ourself aparts will only create more division, just as we should be standing together to serve our country. none of that would be in the national interest. i have devoted myself unsparingly to these tasks ever since i became prime minister, and i stand ready to finish thejob. dozens of brexiteers want her out because of her compromise with the eu, they don't like it and they want her to quit she is drowning and angela merkel has therein throwing water at her. i have reached the conclusion because the prime minister is unwilling to move away from a deal i don't think delivers brexit, i felt it was time for a new leader. so there are many reason, including public trust as to the reasons this vote of confidence is very necessary. we felt we were really thrown out of the discussions, and she started going

ina different discussions, and she started going in a different direction and, the problem is now she has finished up with a deal that commands so little support in the house of commons. the divisions in the tory party have turned british politics into that tourries attraction. puzzling many of the public, just watching on.” feel sorry for her. ijust don't know what is going to happen. who is going to lead? they haven't got another leader, so no, i think they are wrong. they will stop fighting among themselves instead of arguing. the prime minister sweeping down to parliament for one of the most important days of her career, she has nine hours from now, to persuade her colleagues that she is the person to lead the country, and has earned the right to keep herjob. even today of all days her place was at the despatch box. it seemed for a moment parliament was thriving on the chaos. the prime minister was arguing for her party, and the right to stay. we

all know one group that don't want to find a constructive solution, it is the labour party front bench. and that is what we see on the other side, that is what we see on the other side of the chamber, no plan, no clue, no brexit. whatever happens with her conservative leadership vote today, it is utterly irrelevant to the lives of people across our country. will she now put this deal before parliament, and halt this escalating crisis, which is so damaging to the lives of so many people, in this country this government is a farce, the tory party is in chaos, the prime minister is a disgrace with her action, the reality is that people across scotland and the uk are seeing this today, prime minister, take responsibility, do the right thing, resign. tellingly, none of those who want her gone got to their feet. strong

words were directed at the rebels. 0ne words were directed at the rebels. one of my constituents has said the prime minister has done a terrific job in trying circumstances, the head bangers from all sides and the supine attitude of the labour party meant she has had an impossiblejob but she has done so well. can my honourable friend think of anything more unhelpful, irrelevant and irresponsible than for the conservative party to embark on weeks of a conservative leadership election? those cheers can't drown out the criticism. will she win? but for once, the circus outside parliament starred currently loyal characters. all the alternatives risk derailing brexit or risk uncertainty, and chaos, i think that by voting for the prime minister, we can ensure we have a united government, ready to clever. but this is chaos. no, this is... this isn't chaos? no. we need to back the

prime minister and show the country that we are capable of grown up government. when we leave here in the evenings we are stepping over sleeping bodies in westminster tube station, there are so many pressing issues for this government to tackle, and all of our energy is being sucked up with brexit and an internal row. if the prime minister says piece and harmony is not on the way. listen to how the chancellor described some of his own side.” think what this vote today will do, is flush out the extremists who are trying to advance a particular agenda. extremists? well the two sides of the tories meeting in their right no have been pulling themselves apart for decades over europe. the expectation is the prime minister will survive this vote, but then what? the prime minister has one last chance to get her mps on side. those who back her, and those who want to sack her. they are gathering in the heart of the house of commons, to listen here to what

she has to say and number ten is suggesting she might tell them she will quit before the next election, if she is allowed to stay in place. tonight may not be the end of theresa may's time in office, but perhaps a selby date on her time in charge. so, laura with all the layest details on what has been hatching through the day. let us tell you what happened with the vote tonight. 317 conservative mps are voting in this secret ballot on whether mrs may should stay on, we will know the result at 9pm tonight. the prime minister needs 159 votes to survive. if she secures that she is safe from a leadership challenge for another year, if she loses, it will trigger a leadership contest during which she will remain in powerfor the time being until a successor is chosen. tory mps will have to pick two candidates at that stage and the new tory leader will be elected in a postal ballot of the wider

conservative party. so that is how the contest would play out if theresa may was to lose that ballot this evening. let us speak to kerr city blackman. 0f this evening. let us speak to kerr city blackman. of course, over the last few days you have been pushing separate to this, lurgeing lain and jeremy corbyn to call it. what progress you made?” jeremy corbyn to call it. what progress you made? i mean it is very clearly chaos, you can see from what is happening there is more chaos within the conservative party. so we will continue speaking to the labour party, the other opposition parties we because we think across the house there is no confidence in this government. i mean the government can't get legislation through, it doesn't matter who is at the helm. they cannot get legislation through the house just now, they cannot get legislation through the housejust now, i don't think the housejust now, i don't think the public has confidence in the government. i think it is probably time for a vote of no confidence in theresa may. a lot of people have made the point even if she does retain the leadership it doesn't change the maths across the road. is there anything she could bring back from brussels that would suit the

snp? i guess not it would be nice if they were to extend article 50 at this moment in time. any brexit is going to be bad for the economy, bad for us socially and culturally, we will be worse off. so we are arguing very ha rd if will be worse off. so we are arguing very hard if the prime minister wa nts to very hard if the prime minister wants to proceed down this route she needs to have a people's vote. vote. . needs to have a people's vote. vote.. she needs to ask them whether they want to remain in the eu or go down this route of leaving. jeremy corbyn has not called a vote because without the dup who have said that they would vote against the deal but they would vote against the deal but they would vote against the deal but they would fall in behind the conservatives in a vote of no confidence. the numbers aren't there so what is the point of calling it they said if the prime minister's deal was voted down they would support her in a vote of confidence. iam not support her in a vote of confidence. i am not sure where things are today. it seems she is trying to woo the dup because she knows she is on a sticky wicket without that, but i think it is important that we talk about this people's vote we think about this people's vote we think about getting to that stage and the labour party have said there needs to bea labour party have said there needs to be a vote of no confidence before they move towards supporting the

peel‘s vote. they move towards supporting the peel's vote. it is one thing to vote against the deal but to go through the parlour games of a no confidence vote in the government when the nation is in crisis is that what people want? the labour party want to have a vote of no confidence before they would confer moving to a empiece vote, and we are strongly of the opinion we want the people to make the decision on this, so if this is the route we have to take in orderfor that to this is the route we have to take in order for that to happen, this is the route we have to take in orderfor that to happen, then i think that is the route we have to take, the other thing is that potential for a take, the other thing is that potentialfor a general take, the other thing is that potential for a general election, and in that, in that case you extent article 50 and you have a general election, hopefully, get somebody running the country, that is not going to take us out of europe. just speculate for a second for me, imagine she wins tonight and then there is a vote of confidence calls in and let us say for arguments sake you win that, is there a possibility that in fact, she could be unseated eve ryo ne that in fact, she could be unseated everyone though she wins tonight. she could. margaret thatcher previously won a confidence vote and resigned, so it is not the case that

she is in the clear, if she wins in the vote tonight. actually it is also the case she still has this renegotiation she is trying to do with the european union, on this deal that is going to fail whatever she does, whatever changes she makes, she is tinkering about with the backstop because she is concerned some people have issue, theissueis concerned some people have issue, the issue is with the whole of brexit, nobody in the conservative government is acting in the interest of the people who live and work in this country. but it is notjust division within the conservative party, it is division as well on the labour benches and you will know from engaging jeremy corbyn's team there is no appetite for a vote of no confidence, so the gridlock continues. there is an appetite. there is about 50 mps signed a letter saying they would have a vote of no confidence. one of your collea g u es of no confidence. one of your colleagues said there is a bunker mentality in the leadership. we are trying to work hard with the labour party on this, we can only get a vote of no confidence if the labour

party brings to it the house and if they all on mass support that. so we will keep working with them and keep making that case i it is not the case of immediately people will change their minds because of one conversation, so we will keep having them and convince them to move a vote of no confidence in the government. thank you. well, we are set to leave the european union, in just over three months on march 29th next year, and time is already running out to secure a ronny deila. if the prime minister were to lose the vote of no confidence, it could dramatically change the path we take. here is our deputy political editor. they have been demonstrating here for month, rain or shine, for and against brexit. 0bsessed, maybe but they are right to feel brexit‘s the biggest issue facing britain in decades, bigger even than tonight's decision to keep on or sack mrs may, to choose the leader who will try somehow to break the brexit

deadlock. theresa may would still be facing a deeply divided house of commons party and cabinet. still struggling to win over brexiteers who fear the brexit plan could leave britain trapped by eu rules indefinitely. some of them sit in cabinet, two have walked out since this was filmed. more are potential leadership candidates and today one brexiteer warn add no—deal brexit was still possible and mrs may or another leader had to get more concessions out of brussels, or else. it is very difficult to support the deal if we continue get changes to the backstop, i don't think it will get through, i'm not sure that the cabinet will agree for it to be put to the house of commons. among the cabinet's former remainers some would support a softer brexit with closer link, they are saying they would fight against leaving without a deal and the commons wouldn't wear it you have been clear that no deal, a no—deal brexit is not a runner. i have been clear that the house of commons will

stop no deal, the fact i think it will stop no deal doesn't mean we shouldn't continue preparations in care, some have pointed out it could happen. i think it would be such a bad outcome i believe the house of commons will assert itself and stop it. so far, though, there is no sign of european leaders giving britain the kind of concessions that might win round the common, no sign of agreeing at the eu summit, the uk could leave eu rules in its own time, on its own terms, in berlin the german leader spoke plainly. we have sno intention of changing the exit agreement angela merkel said. that is the general position of all 27 member states. and so it is unlikely we will leave these debates with any kind of changes. today, mrs may warned any leader would be short of time. the brexit timetable is tight after tomorrow's summit. in the new year,