UK PM May wins no-confidence vote

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday survived a no-confidence vote in her leadership over Brexit.

May won the vote with 200 lawmakers backing her leadership, but 117 of her lawmakers said she was no longer the right leader to implement Britain's exit from the European Union.

May had needed 159 votes for the simple majority to win the vote.

Forty-eight Conservative MPs requested the vote of no confidence, which was held late Wednesday.

The request came after May delayed a key Brexit vote on Tuesday, fearing defeat.

"The result of the ballot held this evening is that the parliamentary party does have confidence in Theresa May as leader," said Graham Brady, who chairs the committee of backbench MPs that oversaw the vote.

TRT World's Simon McGregor-Wood has more from London.

'Renewed mission'

After the vote results, May said she would get on with her "renewed mission" of taking Britain out of the European Union.

"Following this ballot, we now have to get on with the job of delivering Brexit for the British people and building a better future for this country," May told reporters outside her Downing Street residence.

May said she would seek legal and political assurances from EU leaders on Thursday on the backstop arrangement over the border between EU member state Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland.

'Country's future at risk'

Ahead of the vote, she vowed to fight: "I will contest that vote with everything I’ve got," she told reporters outside 10 Downing Street.

"A change of leadership in the Conservative Party now would put our country's future at risk. And create uncertainty when we can least afford it," she warned.

On her plan for Brexit, which many within her own party oppose, she said a "new leader wouldn't have time to renegotiate, so one of their first acts would have be extending or rescinding Article 50," the section of the EU founding treaty under which the UK is seeking to exit the 28-member European bloc.

Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, 2019.

May could still face challenge

The result means May can keep her positions as party leader and prime minister while continuing an uphill battle to win parliamentary approval for her Brexit plan.

Her victory means fellow Conservatives cannot challenge her for another year.

Corbyn ups ante

Britain's parliament needs to regain control of the Brexit process, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Wednesday after vote on May's leadership.

"Tonight's vote makes no difference to the lives of our people," Corbyn said in a statement. 

"She must now bring her dismal deal back to the House of Commons next week so Parliament can take back control."