Theresa May's government survives no-confidence vote after Brexit defeat

Theresa May's government will face a no confidence vote in the House of Commons later today.

Here's how that is likely to play out:

May is widely expected to win the confidence vote, as Conservatives and members of the DUP who were instrumental in the defeat of her Brexit deal less than 24 hours ago rally behind her.

The last time a UK government was defeated in a confidence vote was March 1979, when then opposition leader Margaret Thatcher challenged Labour PM James Callaghan.

The vote -- which Callaghan's government lost by a single vote -- forced him to dissolve parliament and call an election, which Thatcher's Conservatives won.

The debate in the House of Commons continues.

British Prime Minister Theresa May says: “Last night the House rejected the deal the government has negotiated with the European Union. Today it has asked a simpler question; should the next step be a general election? 

"I believe that is worst thing we could do. It would deepen division when we need unity, it would bring chaos when we need certainty, and it would bring delay, when we need to move forward, so I think this House should reject this motion. 

"At this crucial moment in our nation’s history, a general election is simply not in the national interest.”

Compared to the carnival of protesters present yesterday, the streets outside Parliament resemble a ghost town this afternoon.

Hundreds of EU flags, and a handful of Union Jacks, still flutter -- but today they’re tethered to lampposts, with only a handful of Remain-supporting campaigners braving the drizzle.

“There were a lot more of us yesterday, but people have jobs,” says Cynthia Potter, 48, who traveled from Cardiff to continue her protest.

“I think it’s important that parliament knows we’re here, that we want to be heard, and that we don’t respect the result of the referendum," adds the Remain voter with dual UK-US citizenship.

“It was a non-binding, advisory opinion poll, and they’re treating it like it was this mandate from the people,” she adds, pointing out that the 3 million EU citizens in the UK weren’t able to vote.

Almost immediately after suffering a humiliating defeat on Tuesday night, Theresa May said that if her government were to win a no confidence vote, she would enter discussions with other parties.

But during Wednesday's debate in the House of Commons, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn confirmed he had yet to hear from the Prime Minister's office on any such talks.

Former Prime Minister David Cameron can run -- but he can't hide from the BBC, which stopped him while he was out on his morning jog to ask a few questions we've perhaps all been wondering.

The former Conservative leader, whose decision to call the referendum ultimately resulted in the UK voting to leave the EU, told the BBC: "I do not regret calling the referendum."

If she wins tonight's no confidence vote, Theresa May says she will hold talks with lawmakers from across the political spectrum to find a way out of the Brexit impasse.

At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, May vowed to listen to the views of others "in a constructive spirit."

But she seems unwilling to back down on the so-called "red lines" she set out in her Lancaster House speech two years ago.

They included pledges that Britain would:

Labour politicians have called on May to consider allowing the UK to remain in the customs union, as a way to end the deadlock over Brexit.

On Wednesday, Downing Street told the UK's Press Association that May remained committed to securing an "independent trade policy" -- effectively ruling that out.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell told the BBC's Today program that May appeared to be "laying conditions down about those discussions which look as though they will prevent any discussion of a permanent customs union."

"She seems to be negating the discussions before they have even started."

Veteran Conservative MP Ken Clarke told PMQs that May must accept she needs to "modify her red lines ... and find a cross-party majority."

While Westminster debates, Ireland has already begun implementing plans for a no-deal Brexit, according to Irish PM Leo Varadkar.

“A no-deal scenario would not protect the peace in Northern Ireland, so we have to work hard to avoid it,” Varadkar said Wednesday.

“At the same time our plans for a no-deal exit will continue. These are no longer contingency plans. They are being implemented by Government. Now businesses and other organizations, if they are not doing so, must do the same.”

The Taoiseach –- as the prime minister is known in Irish -- also said Britain was to blame for Brexit and should therefore find the solution.

“We should never forget that Brexit is a British policy that originated in Westminster. After months of negotiation, we found a solution. That solution has now been rejected by Westminster. The problem now lies there.”

Conservative MP Justine Greening certainly thinks so. The lawmaker who defied the prime minister by calling for a second referendum, tells CNN another vote looks “more likely” following May's defeat last night.

“We’re now starting to see something that to my mind has been clear for many months -- which is that parliament’s gridlocked, and there isn’t a majority for anything," said Greening.

"But we’ve got to go somewhere -- and if that’s the case, that means we have to go back to the people,” she added.

Greening put the chances of a "People’s Vote" at around "seven out of 10" -- a prediction that will hearten the thousands of anti-Brexit protesters who attended a rally outside Parliament last night.

But Greening is standing by the Prime Minister tonight at least, confirming that she will back May in the no-confidence motion against her government.

As expected, the prime minister is coming in for a hammering in parliament over her handling of Brexit.

She admits that if Westminster "fails to deliver on what the British people instructed us to do" and deliver Brexit, then "the view of politicians will be at an all time low."

"We need to deliver Brexit for the British people."