Why Theresa May Is Facing a U.K. Confidence Vote (and How It Works)

The nation that gave the world parliamentary democracy is confronting the system’s most dramatic act: a vote to throw the government out of office. In the U.K.’s House of Commons, no-confidence votes test whether the government still commands support from a majority of lawmakers, and there’s no limit to how many times an opposition leader can propose one. It’s the way to trigger a general election, offering a path to power for Jeremy Corbyn’s socialist Labour Party.

There’s a plan for a debate, followed by a vote of no-confidence on Wednesday at 7 p.m. local time to determine if a majority of lawmakers still support U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May’s government. Every member of Parliament takes part. May doesn’t have a majority and relies on the 10 lawmakers of the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party to prop up her government. The DUP is enraged by her Brexit plan, so it’s not a given they would support her.