Would a successful leadership challenge mean a general election? If Theresa May is replaced will her successor be Prime Minister?

But what would it mean if she was forced out, and would we have to have a general election? Here's our guide.

Could Theresa May face a Tory leadership challenge?

Westminster is abuzz with rumours of plots to oust Mrs May as leader of the Conservative party.

They intensified after the humiliating Euro summit in Salzburg in September.

One MP, James Duddridge, even chose to submit a letter of no confidence just before her big conference speech in Birmingham.

Other backbenchers claim there are dozens of colleagues who are willing to follow suit.

So far Mrs May's opponents appear to be waiting for a direct challenge by a big hitter such as Boris Johnson.

Eurosceptics are unhappy at the progress of Brexit talks and fear the PM will make too many concessions to Brussels.

But many also fear ditching her would spark chaos – and let Jeremy Corbyn into Downing Street.

Leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg – named by party members as among the favourites to take over as leader – has given his support to Mrs May.

She has vowed to stay on beyond Brexit and win the next election in 2022.

What happens in a Tory leadership challenge?

A leadership election is called if the party leader resigns – as David Cameron did in 2016 – or loses a vote of no confidence.

This is triggered if 15 per cent of the parliamentary party write so-called letters of no confidence to the chairman of the backbench 1922 committee.

There are currently 316 Tory MPs so the threshold needed is 48.

Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, is the only person who knows how many no-confidence letters have been submitted.

Rumours claim as many as 35 have been sent already.

Once the threshold is reached, all MPs will be asked to vote whether they have confidence in the leader.

It could happen as soon as the next day.

If Mrs May won she would stay in office, but if she lost she would have to resign and a leadership contest would be called.

The last no confidence vote against a sitting Tory leader was in 2003.

Opposition leader Iain Duncan Smith lost the vote and stood down. Michael Howard was elected unopposed.

John Major resigned as Tory leader in 1995 to face down his critics and was re-elected. He stayed as prime minister throughout.

Would Theresa May's successor become PM or would there have to be an election?

The prime minister is invited to serve by personal invitation of the monarch.

In practice it is the party leader who can command the support of the House of Commons – i.e. the one with the most MPs.

If Theresa May quit or was deposed as Tory leader, it is likely she would stay in Downing Street for a short time until after the contest to replace her.

In a process lasting several weeks, Conservative MPs would whittle candidates down to the top two, before grassroots party members chose the winner.

Normally a new leader of the party in government would expect to become prime minister.

Gordon Brown and John Major both became PM without a general election, as did Theresa May.

It is likely a new Tory leader would be invited to form a government, although he or she could struggle as the party does not have a majority in the Commons.

Mrs May currently relies on the support of the DUP's ten MPs in Westminster to push votes through.

And if the new government lost a vote of no confidence in the Commons – such as on the Budget – it would be forced to resign, triggering a general election.

In July an opinion poll showed most Brits would want an election if Mrs May were ousted.



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