PANTO'S OVER!
Theresa May brushes aside Corbyn General Election bid… now get on with Brexit
THERESA May last night saw off Labour's attempt to kick her out and trigger a General Election - but now the hard part starts AGAIN.
The PM announced talks with opposition leaders as she attempts to thrash out a Brexit deal which can actually work - or prepare for No Deal.
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Mrs May survived the no-confidence vote after the Tories and DUP weighed in behind her to stop Mr Corbyn getting a shot at No10.
She won the support of 325 MPs, with 306 voting against her - a majority of 19.
But she is still no closer to reaching a Brexit deal which Parliament and the EU can accept following Tuesday's record-breaking Commons defeat.
As Mrs May fights to save her Brexit plan:
- Jeremy Corbyn is under pressure to back a second referendum after the failure of his no-confidence gambit
- Mrs May called the Labour boss's bluff by asking him to get involved in finding a Brexit solution
- Labour chiefs threatened to hold more no-confidence votes in the weeks to come
- EU bosses called for Britain to head for a soft Brexit
All Tory and DUP MPs voted to keep Mrs May in office, along with Northern Ireland independent Sylvia Hermon - while all opposition MPs voted against her except three ex-Labour independents.
Speaking outside Number 10 last night in a live address to the nation the PM urged Jeremy Corbyn to work with her to deliver Brexit.
The PM said she was disappointed that so far the Labour boss has rejected calls to find a Brexit plan that MPs can agree with.
But she added: “Our door remains open”.
She had talks with the SNP, Lib Dem’s and Plaid Cymru in an attempt to find a way forward through the deadlock.
But the Labour boss insisted that a No Deal Brexit must be taken off the table first.
It came just 24 hours after her Brexit deal suffered a humiliating defeat.
LET'S WORK TOGETHER
But the PM went on to win a vote of confidence in her own government, scraping through by just 19 votes.
She also said that it was time for MPs to put their “self interests aside” and find a way forward for the country.
The PM also used her speech to reassure the British public that she would still deliver Brexit.
Since her deal was viciously slapped down MPs have ramped up their demands for a second divisive Brexit vote.
She admitted the last 24 hours had been “unsettling” for them.
But last night Mrs May said: “Now is the time for us to come together and deliver Brexit."
Minutes after the result was announced, Mrs May invited all opposition party leaders to No10 as soon as tonight to discuss working together on Brexit.
She said: "I have proposed a series of meetings between senior parliamentarians and representatives of the Government over the coming days.
"And I would like to invite the leaders of parliamentary parties to meet with me individually, and I would like to start these meetings tonight.
"The Government approaches these meetings in a constructive spirit and I urge others to do the same.
"But we must find solutions that are negotiable and command sufficient support in this house."
COME ROUND TO MINE
Mr Corbyn turned down the invitation - saying: "Before there can be any positive discussions about the way forward the Government must remove once and for all the prospect of the catastrophe of a No Deal Brexit."
Meanwhile Philip Hammond warned a No Deal Brexit will be blocked by MPs.
In a tape leaked last night, the Chancellor insisted the “threat” could be taken “off the table”.
The SNP and Lib Dems called for Mrs May to consider delaying Article 50 - claiming Britain won't be ready to leave the EU on March 29 as scheduled.
Nat leader Ian Blackford, Lib Dem Vince Cable and Plaid Cymru's Liz Saville Roberts were all understood to be visiting Mrs May's Commons office for preparatory talks.
Jacob Rees-Mogg warned the PM she wouldn't be able to secure a deal by relying on Mr Corbyn.
He told The Sun last night: "I think she had to do it, but what the vote yesterday showed is that there are 125 Eurosceptics and DUP MPs who - if she wins them back - will help her get a deal through.
“The idea she can get half the Labour party to vote for her deal is fanciful.”
But Amber Rudd insisted every option must be on the table - in a hint Brexit could end up being softened.
She told the BBC: "It seems to me that everything has to be on the table because the priority is to find a negotiated settlement so we can leave the European Union.
"We've got to find where the majority is in the house, and nothing is off the table... I think we are seeing things changing and I think we will see a big difference."
Brexit chaos: what happens next?
TODAY: Theresa May invites opposition leaders to No10 to talk Brexit.
Jeremy Corbyn has said he’s probably not going to go - demanding Mrs May rule out No Deal Brexit first.
The SNP have welcomed the chats.
NEXT FEW DAYS: More meetings with senior parliamentarians to forge a cross party consensus on Brexit
Jean-Claude Juncker has said he will host the PM in Brussels if she really wants to come - but she hasn’t responded yet.
MONDAY: The PM will make a statement in the Commons laying out her next steps, which will be debated and voted upon by MPs by January 30 at the latest - but probably earlier.
MARCH 29: Britain’s still set to leave the EU by this date - unless everything else goes wrong.
CORB CATASTROPHE
Speaking in the no-confidence debate yesterday, Mrs May defended her own record and her Brexit vision.
She blasted Mr Corbyn for wanting to scrap Nato and ditch nuclear weapons - saying he would "abandon our allies, weaken our security and wreck our economy".
The PM also slammed his support for the IRA and refusal to blame Vladimir Putin for the Salisbury novichok attack.
She raged: "His leadership of the Labour Party has been a betrayal of everything that party has stood for, a betrayal of the vast majority of its MPs and a betrayal of millions of decent and patriotic Labour voters.
"What he has done to his party is a national tragedy, why he would do to the country would be a national calamity."
Mrs May said a General Election would be "the worst thing we could do", adding: "It would deepen division when we need unity, it would bring chaos when we need certainty and it would bring delay when we need to move forward.
"Parliament must finish the job - that's what the British people expect of us. A General Election is simply not in the national interest.
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"It would mean extending Article 50 and delaying Brexit for who knows how long."
She mocked Mr Corbyn's confusion over Brexit - after he couldn't even say whether or not Labour actually backs Britain leaving the EU.
Michael Gove wrapped up the debate with a barnstorming performance tearing the radical leftie apart.
He was cheered to the rafters as he said: "Mr Corbyn was there when a wreath was laid to commemorate those who were involved in the massacre at the Munich Olympics of Israeli nationals.
"He says he was present but not involved - present but not involved sums him up when it comes to national security.
"When this house voted to bomb the fascists of ISIS, in order to defeat fascism, I'm afraid he was not with us.
"Similarly when this house voted to take action when Putin acted on our soil, many Labour MPs stood up to support us, but he didn't.
"How can he possibly protect this country? No allies, no deterrent, no army - no way can this country ever allow that man to be our Prime Minister."
How will this all end? Brexit outcomes explained
GOING SOFT
A cross-party group of MPs are frantically pushing an alternative Soft Brexit plan which could replace Mrs May's deal.
It would be welcomed by big business - but Brexit voters would be unhappy because it would mean Britain accepting open borders, and following European rules without a say.
HOW LIKELY? 3/5
HARD AS NAILS
Most of the Tory Brexiteers who oppose the PM's deal want her to return to Brussels and strike a tougher line.
But Eurocrats currently insist it's impossible to re-open negotiations.
HOW LIKELY? 2/5
REFERENDUM RE-RUN
Dozens of MPs are hell-bent on forcing Mrs May to hold a second referendum so Britain can stay in the EU.
Yet without the support of the Government it's unlikely the second vote could become a reality.
HOW LIKELY? 3/5
DEAL OR NO DEAL?
If Mrs May cannot pass a deal, the legal default is that we will leave the EU without a deal on March 29.
Despite the legal position, the majority of MPs insist they will take any measure necessary to rule out No Deal.
HOW LIKELY? 4/5
MAY TRIUMPHS - EVENTUALLY
Cabinet ministers remain adamant that a version of Theresa May's plan will eventually pass the Commons, even after losing last night.
They believe sceptical MPs will lose their nerve as Brexit Day approaches - terrified of either No Deal or a second referendum.
HOW LIKELY? 3/5
BREXIT BARNEY
Opening the debate, Mr Corbyn blasted the "zombie Government", adding: "Last night the Government was defeated by 230 votes.
"The largest defeat in the history of our democracy. The first Government to be defeated by more than 200 votes.
"Last week they lost a vote on the Finance Bill. That what’s called supply. Yesterday they lost a vote by biggest margin ever. That what’s regarded as confidence.
"By any convention of this House, by any precedent the loss of confidence and supply should mean they do the right thing and resign."
The PM won support from DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds, who told MPs: "We believe it's in the national interest to support the Government at this time so the aims and objectives of the confidence and supply agreement we entered into can be achieved.
"I don't think the people in this country would rejoice at the prospect tonight if a General Election were to be called."
Theresa May gives statement after winning confidence vote by 325-306 by a majority of 19
Mrs May also got a boost from John Woodcock, who quit Labour last year to sit as an independent and today abstained rather than joining Mr Corbyn's no-confidence vote.
He told The Sun: "If the no-confidence motion is passed, we get a choice between a Government that is struggling to govern and a man who is simply not fit or safe to hold high office.
"We need to give people the chance of better leadership than this."
He was one of three former Labour MPs to abstain - the others were anti-Corbynite Ivan Lewis and Fiona Onasanya, who faces jail for lying about a speeding fine.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says a No Deal Brexit needs to be ruled out before talks with PM after no confidence motion fails
MOST READ IN POLITICS
Labour bosses have warned the party could put down further no-confidence motions over the weeks to come.
Mrs May's Brexit deal was defeated last night by a giant margin of 230 votes - the worst Commons defeat in history.
She is now holding talks with senior MPs from across the parties to find a compromise deal.
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Prime Minister Theresa May issues dire warning of Britain under Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs
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