In a historic encounter with Tory MPs, the Prime Minister promised to hand over to a new PM within months
THERESA May tonight promised to quit if her Brexit deal passes - as the Commons descended into total farce with MPs failing to agree on ANY alternative.
In a historic showdown with Tory rebels, the PM admitted she has lost control and must step down if her deal is to have a chance of success.
On the eve of March 29 - the date she originally promised Britain would leave the EU - Mrs May finally accepted her time in No10 has run out.
But hours later, in a sign of the deep divisions still splitting Westminster, squabbling MPs failed to back a single one out of EIGHT motions laying out a variety of different Brexit paths.
During a historic day in Westminster:
Tory rebels including Boris instantly said they would now back Theresa May's deal after she announced her resignation - and the ex-Foreign Secretary could set off a cascade of falling dominoes as sceptical MPs give up their struggle. Ally Zac Goldsmith said: "His intervention might just save Brexit."
But it's still not clear whether the PM's gambit will be enough to take her deal over the line.
Up to 30 Tory Brexiteers are still refusing to support the withdrawal agreement, out of the 75 who opposed it last time around.
And tonight the DUP announced they would oppose the deal in a third meaningful vote, saying it "poses an unacceptable threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom".
The PM will only win if she gets the support of nearly every Conservative - otherwise she'll have to win over Labour rebels as well to balance out the Tory holdouts.
Tonight the Commons tried to take control of Brexit, staging votes on eight different options from No Deal to revoking Article 50 altogether.
But the process descended into chaos as none of the motions debated attracted a majority of MPs.
The most popular outcomes were a customs union, which lost by just eight votes, and a second referendum - both of those options received more support than the PM's deal did the last time it went through the Commons.
Responding to the results, Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said: "This strengthens our view that the deal the Government has negotiated is the best option."
But the ringleaders of the backbench coup have vowed to hold another round of indicative votes on Monday where they will aim to win a majority for the customs union.
I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party
Theresa May
Mrs May did not explicitly say she would only go if MPs backed her deal - but made it clear she wants to see the Brexit process through, suggesting that if her deal collapses she may stay on for longer.
Her voice cracking, she told the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers: "I know there is a desire for a new approach, and new leadership, in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations – and I won’t stand in the way of that.
“I know some people are worried that if you vote for the withdrawal agreement, I will take that as a mandate to rush on into phase two without the debate we need to have. I won’t – I hear what you are saying. But we need to get the deal through and deliver Brexit.
“I am prepared to leave this job earlier than I intended in order to do what is right for our country and our party.
“I ask everyone in this room to back the deal so we can complete our historic duty – to deliver on the decision of the British people and leave the European Union with a smooth and orderly exit.”
The PM admitted she's made "mistakes", adding: "I don’t tour the bars and engage in the gossip – but I do make time to speak to colleagues."
Mrs May did not name the date when she expects to hand over to a new Prime Minister.
No10 sources suggested the leadership contest could begin as soon as Britain leaves the EU, currently scheduled for May 22 - meaning the new leader would be in place by the mid-summer.
Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt, Dominic Raab and Sajid Javid are seen as the frontrunners to take over.
But one MP joked there would be "more runners and riders than the Grand National" with outsider candidates including Liz Truss, Matt Hancock, Tom Tugendhat and Esther McVey poised to enter the contest too.
The announcement was met with loud banging of desks by Tory MPs inside the packed committee room where the meeting took place.
Loyal MPs were quick to pay tribute to Mrs May - George Freeman said her address to the 1922 Committee was "the best speech she’s ever given".
Ms Truss added: "Prime Minister gave a dignified and honest speech at the 1922. She cares deeply about our country and is a patriot. People must now support the deal and move us forward."
Calls for Mrs May to resign have been growing all week since The Sun demanded she step down to help secure her deal on Monday.
Labour demanded a General Election to allow the public to choose the identity of the new leader.
Jeremy Corbyn blasted: "Theresa May’s pledge to Tory MPs to stand down if they vote for her deal shows once and for all that her chaotic Brexit negotiations have been about party management, not principles or the public interest.
"A change of government can't be a Tory stitch-up, the people must decide."
The PM's bold move could persuade the bulk of Brexiteers to back her deal in a third "meaningful vote" tomorrow or on Friday.
AFTER Theresa May announced she will quit once Brexit is delivered, the future of the country is in the hands of Tory MPs and members.
The PM is likely to step down in late May but will remain as caretaker leader while her successor is elected.
The process of finding a new Conservative party leader - and therefore Prime Minister - will take around two months.
There are two stages to the Tory leadership election - first MPs whittle the list of candidates down to two, then grassroots activists pick the winner.
Any Tory MP can throw their hat in the ring.
The parliamentary party votes in several rounds, eliminating the lowest-ranked candidate each time until just two remain.
Conservative members will use postal voting to have their say on the shortlist of two, with the winner becoming leader and entering 10 Downing Street.
After David Cameron quit in 2016, the second stage of voting was cancelled because Andrea Leadsom pulled out, leaving Theresa May as the last candidate standing.
But not all of them are convinced - Steve Baker, Jacob Rees-Mogg's deputy in the European Research Group, was so furious he told allies: "I could tear this place down and bulldoze it into the river. These fools and knaves and cowards are voting on things they don’t even understand."
He warned he could quit the Tory party rather than back the deal as it stands.
And the DUP, seen as crucial to the deal's chances of success, dramatically announced tonight they would not vote for it.
The party said: "Given the fact that the necessary changes we seek to the backstop have not been secured between the Government and the European Union, and the remaining and ongoing strategic risk that Northern Ireland would be trapped in backstop arrangements at the end of the implementation period, we will not be supporting the Government if they table a fresh meaningful vote."
Speaker John Bercow warned today he could block any attempt to bring the withdrawal agreement back to the Commons.
It comes after he ordered ministers last week to make substantial changes to the deal before putting it back to MPs.
The pro-EU Speaker blasted: "I understand the Government may be thinking about bringing a third meaningful vote before the House either tomorrow or even on Friday, if the House opts to sit that day.
"Therefore, in order there should be no misunderstanding, I wish to make clear that I do expect the Government to meet the test of change."
Ministers are still confident they can dodge Mr Bercow's ban, and have summoned MPs to the Commons on Friday in the hope of holding the vote then.
They want to harness the symbolic power of asking MPs to finally sign off on Brexit on the day Britain was scheduled to leave the EU for good.
MINISTERS have dismissed calls by nearly 6million Brits to ignore the referendum result and block Brexit.
A petition to revoke Article 50 has been signed by 5.8million people - making it the most popular in history.
The move would stop Britain leaving the EU at all, even without a second referendum on Brexit.
The Government formally replied last night - dashing the hopes of the Remainers who signed it.
Ministers from the Brexit department said: "This Government will not revoke Article 50.
"We will honour the result of the 2016 referendum and work with Parliament to deliver a deal that ensures we leave the European Union."
MPs will debate the Article 50 petition on Monday afternoon.
If the Commons does approve Mrs May's deal this week, the UK will quit the EU on May 22.
But if not, we will either leave with No Deal on April 12 or - more likely - have to request a long extension, likely to last around a year, from the EU.
Tonight Parliament formally voted to scrap the previous exit date of March 29, written into law two years ago, and push it back by at least two weeks.
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