2019 vote of confidence in the May ministry

Following the vote, Prime Minister Theresa May requested individual meetings with leaders of all parties to discuss how to continue with the process of leaving the European Union.

In December 2018, May had faced a vote of confidence from members of the Parliamentary Conservative Party because of opposition from Eurosceptic Conservative MPs to her Brexit withdrawal agreement, which they felt would compromise British control over its borders because its inclusion of a proposal for an Irish backstop, which would allow for the possibility of Northern Ireland remaining within the EU Customs Union as a means to avoid a physical border with the Irish Republic after Britain's departure from the EU.

However, although May won the vote comfortably with a majority of 83, plans for the House of Commons to debate the Brexit agreement in December were postponed until the new year when it became clear Parliament would reject it.

Addressing the House of Commons in the wake of the result, May said that she would welcome a vote of confidence in her government and would allow time for it to be debated the following day.

[15] May made a statement to the nation from Downing Street at 10:00 p.m.[16][17] In it, she urged MPs to "put self-interest aside" and "work constructively together" to achieve a solution to Brexit.

[18] On the next day, it was reported that Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond had reassured executives from leading companies when he spoke to them for more than an hour at 9.30 p.m. on Tuesday that the government had no intention to have a no-deal Brexit occurring.

[20] He also requested through the use of email that Labour MPs should not partake in any Brexit discussions with the government until May would rule out a no-deal Brexit, after Labour MPs Hilary Benn, Yvette Cooper and John Mann went to the Cabinet Office to meet Conservative ministers and discuss a solution to the crisis.