Theresa May has avoided a fresh leadership coup after backbench Tory MPs decided against a radical change to party rules to oust her.
The backbench 1922 Committee failed to agree on plans to force the prime minister to face a no-confidence vote this June, six months earlier than currently allowed.
Amid increasing fears that any fresh instability and infighting could further harm the Tories in next month’s local elections, MPs decided it was too soon to act.
However, the grandees decided to ask May again for more ‘clarity’ on her ‘timetable’ for departure from Downing Street.
Under current rules, May - who won a confidence ballot before Christmas last year - cannot be challenged again until December.
She has already vowed to step aside if her Brexit deal is passed in the Commons, allowing someone else to lead the second round of negotiations with the EU.
A clutch of Brexiteers on the committee’s executive had wanted to change the rules to make it easier to remove her earlier from No.10.
But after two long meetings on Tuesday and on Wednesday, it narrowly decided against the more radical option.
One source told HuffPost UK the proposal for a fresh confidence vote in June was defeated by just 9 votes to 7.
Sir Graham Brady said afterwards: “First of all we determined there should not be a rule change to remove the 12 month period of grace during which a second confidence vote cannot be held.
“We further determined that we should remind colleagues it is always available to write to me as chairman of the 1922 Committee raising concerns, including concerns about the leadership of the party.
“And that the strength of opinion would be communicated by me to the leader of the party should they decide to do so.
“Thirdly, we determined that following the prime minister’s decision to set out a clear schedule for departure as leader of the party in the event of the withdrawal agreement being passed, we would seek similar clarity from her in other circumstances.
“The 1922 Committee executive is asking on behalf of the Conservative party in Parliament that we should have a clear roadmap forward.”
Brady added that there had been a “full and constructive debate”. “We have done so in a friendly and collegiate way and we haven’t come to blows,” he added.
The committee’s demand for greater ‘clarity’ on May’s departure was delivered within minutes to the chief whip.
During the full meeting of the 1922 Committee, there was a clash between Brexiteers and loyalists who want to give May more time to get her Brexit deal through the Commons, one senior MP confided.
Serial rebel Andrew Bridgen called for all Tory MPs to get a vote on a rule change, but former Cabinet minister Nicky Morgan jibed that his demand was akin to asking for a second referendum.
Bridgen’s remark “seems to me to be very much like re-running a vote that happened six months ago”, she said.