Theresa May will not lead Conservative party into 2022 general election, MPs say

Some May loyalists later played down the reports, saying the prime minister had only accepted it would make colleague 'uncomfortable' if she fought 2022 election

Theresa May has told Conservative MPs that she will not lead the party into the 2022 election, in a bid to win their support in a critical vote of no confidence.

MPs listening to the prime minister speak ahead of the ballot said from inside the room that Ms May gave clear indications she would step down ahead of the election at the end of the parliament.

However, deputy party chair James Cleverly later denied she had given such a clear commitment, saying instead that she only admitted that some Tory MPs were "uncomfortable” with her taking them into the election.

Ms May addressed her MPs at a meeting of the backbench 1922 Committee minutes before voting opened in the ballot of no confidence in her leadership.

She spent much of Wednesday meeting Tory MPs and reportedly reassured sceptics that it was not her intention to fight the next general election.

MPs inside the 1922 Committee meeting said the prime minister had assured them she would not fight the next election.

Alex Shelbrooke, MP for Elmet and Rothwell, told reporters: "She said definitely that she will not lead us into a 2022 election.

"She said there was still work to be done and that she believed she had a role bringing both the party and the country together after Brexit and delivering a strong domestic agenda."

Asked whether she would quit if an election was held before 2022, Ms May reportedly said there would not be an election before then.

Speaking after the meeting, Brandon Lewis, the Tory chairman, said: “The PM was very frank about the clear view she has that colleagues had made known their views about the 2022 election.

"The decision tonight is about this year right now and Brexit and actually keeping her as PM right now is the right thing to do.”

Mr Cleverly said Ms May told Tory MPs that she "recognised that colleagues were uncomfortable" with her leading the party into another election.

The prime minister said her focus was on "getting Brexit delivered, making sure we have a good working relationship with the DUP up and running and on not having an early election", he said.

The Tory deputy chair said the prime minister had accepted the current issues "would not be resolved by an election".

"There's not going to be an election - she made that very, very clear", he said.