Theresa May confidence vote: MPs cast their ballots after PM tells them she won't fight next election if she can finish Brexit job

Tory MPs have finished casting their votes in the “confidence” ballot in Theresa May after she told them she will not lead the party into the next general election.

Voting finished at 8pm with the result expected within the next hour.

MPs had lined up to enter Committee Room 14 in Parliament to cast their votes in the secret ballot from 6pm.

First in the queue was Digital Minister Margot James who said: “I’m first in the queue giving my support 100 per cent (to the Prime Minister).”

The MPs were let into the room shortly after 6pm for the vote which is due to last up until 8pm.

At least one whip was watching as the MPs prepared to go in.

Earlier, Mrs May had addressed the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs where she made clear she would not be the Tory contender in the next General Election planned for 2022.

Afterwards, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd told reporters: “She’s made the commitment that I think is what people wanted, but she was very clear that she won’t be taking the general election in 2022.”

Attorney General Geoffrey Cox said Mrs May had delivered a “strong Prime Ministerial performance.”

Mrs May also told MPs at the meeting on Wednesday night that she would not call an early election or cancel the Brexit vote on her deal. Mrs May sought to reassure her colleagues over the divisive Brexit Irish border issue saying there was a legally binding solution coming.

Solicitor General Robert Buckland told reporters: "She said 'In my heart I would like to lead the party into the next election' and then that was the introductory phrase to her indication that she would accept the fact that that would not happen, that is not her intention."

As MPs left the 1922 meeting, many remained tight-lipped, with dozens expected to vote to oust Mrs May shortly afterwards.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove predicted she would win the vote “handsomely”.

But Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg said he was not persuaded to vote for the Prime Minister in the ballot. He said: "It was the same old stuff. Nothing has changed."

Former Brexit secretary David Davis declined to comment on how he had voted as he left the committee room, but quipped that officials had asked for his ID card, adding: "Don't they know I don't do ID cards?"

The MP for Haltemprice and Howden resigned as an MP and sparked a by-election when he was shadow home secretary in 2008 over the potential introduction of ID cards across the UK, in protest at what he said would be an erosion of civil liberties.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson was the last the to cast his ballot and said: "I think I'll vote for the Prime Minister."

If there is a sizeable revolt Mrs May could still struggle to carry on beyond the short-term.

MPs believe that if some 100 rebel, around a third of the party, then she would be badly wounded, with her authority diminished.

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, was expected to announce the result around 9pm.

The leadership contest that the Prime Minister had battled for months to avoid finally engulfed her today when Sir Graham Brady revealed that he had received the 48 letters needed to trigger a ballot of her MPs.

Mrs May had earlier warned her divided party of “chaos” and a postponement of Brexit Day on March 29 next year if she was thrown out of No 10.

She vowed to fight on and told her MPs that the only people whose interests would be served if she lost the confidence vote were John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn.