MPs could break for recess before new PM is installed to avoid no confidence vote

Houses of Parliament Photo: PA / Tim Ireland - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

The House of Commons could break for recess before a new prime minister is installed – in an attempt to avoid a vote of no confidence.

Commons leader Mel Stride, making his despatch box debut in his new role, said discussions are ongoing over when the summer recess will take place and an announcement on the dates will be made “in due course”.

Shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz said it was rumoured MPs could break for the summer on July 19 – with the Tory leader expected to be announced after this date and therefore spared the prospect of an immediate challenge.

Speaking in the Commons as the business for next week was announced, Vaz said: “I want to ask the Leader of the House if he can confirm the dates for the summer and the conference recess.

“The reason why I ask is not because I don’t want to be here, we do want to be here.

“I’ve heard rumours the House might rise on July 19 but I think there’s a new timetable for the election of the Conservative leader and we need to make sure that the House is not in recess when the new leader, and effectively the new prime minister, takes up his or her post.

“So does he agree with me that it’s vital that this House will have an immediate opportunity to test whether the new leader of the Conservative Party commands the confidence of the House?”

Vaz also asked Stride to confirm the status of the Tory Party’s confidence-and-supply agreement with the ten DUP MPs.

Stride said of the recess dates: “These are matters that are being considered in the normal manner at the moment and I will come forward to this despatch box and announce those dates in due course.

“She raised an interesting question about a vote of no confidence and whether such a vote would be permissible, which I think is really something that originates from her side of the House the desire to put forward such a motion.

“So clearly I’d suggest perhaps she’d speak to the leader of her own party (Jeremy Corbyn), aware as I am that there’s a lack of communication between the backbenches and the frontbenches – I didn’t realise there was a lack of communication between the frontbench and the leader of her own side.”

On the agreement with the DUP, Stride said: “(It’s) an agreement between the Conservative and Unionist Party and the DUP, and therefore I am confident will not be affected by any change in the leadership of the Conservative and Unionist Party.”