Should Theresa May resign?

[Lumine]

Past PMs were resigning over losing more trivial votes by more trivial margins, and this is definitively not a trivial matter.

Normally it'd be a fatal blow, but I guess no Tory wants to challenge May because of the mess to inherit or simply because there's no stalking horse to trigger the race ("a regicide cannot inherit the throne" mentality).

Strictly speaking they cannot challenge her, she's safe from an official vote of confidence as party leader until December 2019 and leadership challenges no longer exist - thus no need for a stalking horse -.

Since May has made it evident she'll have to be dragged kicking and screaming from the Premiership the only two alternatives (from the Tory MP's position) to get rid of her are a successful VONC in which May has the decency to resign and the Conservatives then try to form a government in 14 days before an election; or threatening May with a party split or something as dramatic to force her to go.

[Lumine]

Past PMs were resigning over losing more trivial votes by more trivial margins, and this is definitively not a trivial matter.

Normally it'd be a fatal blow, but I guess no Tory wants to challenge May because of the mess to inherit or simply because there's no stalking horse to trigger the race ("a regicide cannot inherit the throne" mentality).

Strictly speaking they cannot challenge her, she's safe from an official vote of confidence as party leader until December 2019 and leadership challenges no longer exist - thus no need for a stalking horse -.

I miss the old times before that vote of confidence to last for months/fixed term garbage.

Don't we all!

[Lumine]

Past PMs were resigning over losing more trivial votes by more trivial margins, and this is definitively not a trivial matter.

Normally it'd be a fatal blow, but I guess no Tory wants to challenge May because of the mess to inherit or simply because there's no stalking horse to trigger the race ("a regicide cannot inherit the throne" mentality).

Strictly speaking they cannot challenge her, she's safe from an official vote of confidence as party leader until December 2019 and leadership challenges no longer exist - thus no need for a stalking horse -.

I miss the old times before that vote of confidence to last for months/fixed term garbage.

Don't we all!

Isn't this fixed term stuff because of Nick Clegg?

Partially, when it comes to Parliament itself. The Fixed-term Parliaments Act passed because of Clegg and the Lib Dems, empowering future minority governments (like May after the 2017 Election) by making it harder for them to be removed via VONC (requiring a 14 period in which the old or a new Government could regain the confidence of the House before an election is mandatory) and making it harder to trigger an election. Had it been like the old days and May lost the coming VONC she'd pretty much have to resign right away or call an election.

Alas, the biggest rule keeping her in office is the rules of the Conservative Party. If before the norm was a candidate standing against the leader, when the rules were changed under William Hague in 1998 Party Leaders had to be ousted via a Vote of No Confidence, and if the leader won he was safe for a year from another immediate VONC. So - other than the unfortunate parliamentary arithmetic and the DUP not knifing her jut yet - the Fixed-Terms Act and the Conservative Party Rules are essentially keeping her in office.