Theresa May backed by most Welsh Tory MPs in confidence vote

Most of Wales' eight Conservative MPs are thought to have backed Theresa May in Wednesday's confidence vote.

The prime minister held off a challenge to her leadership, with 200 MPs backing her versus 117 against.

At least seven Welsh Tories,, including Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns, have either said they would vote for the prime minister or are understood to be supporting her.

But ex-Brexit minister David Jones said he would vote against Mrs May.

The Clwyd West MP said she could not make Brexit a success.

In a speech outside 10 Downing Street the prime minister warned Tory MPs she would have to scrap or extend the mechanism for leaving the EU if there is a leadership election.

Before the vote former Welsh Secretary and Preseli Pembrokeshire MP Stephen Crabb told BBC Wales MPs who are trying to oust the PM "are in danger of misjudging the mood of the country".

Mrs May, who has been prime minister since shortly after the UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016, has faced criticism in her party for the Brexit plan she has negotiated.

MPs said that in a last minute appeal for support Mrs May told them she will not lead the party into the next scheduled election in 2022, but wants to stay on to deliver her Brexit deal.

Early on Thursday Mr Cairns tweeted: "I am giving my full support to @theresa_may who has always put the national interest first. We need to honour the outcome of the referendum and support the PM to deliver Brexit on 29 March 2019."

Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies said called those who called for a non-confidence votee "self indulgent and self defeating", while Conservative MP for Aberconwy Guto Bebb was understood to be supporting the PM.

David Jones said before the vote: "My chief concern is to ensure that Brexit is a success for the UK. I do not believe that that will be possible under her leadership.

"I was one of the first to declare my support for her and it has been an extremely hard decision to make that I can no longer give that support."

In contrast, fellow Leave campaigner and Conservative MP for Monmouth David Davies told BBC Wales that he is giving his "full support" to the PM.

He said: "A leadership election is the last thing the country needs at this time."

After being undecided before seeing Mrs May on Wednesday afternoon, Brecon and Radnorshire MP Chris Davies said: "After a 20 minute individual meeting with the PM I have decided to support her this evening."

Another Brexiteer, Chris Davies, the Conservative MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, told BBC Wales he would also be supporting Theresa May.

"After a 20 minute individual meeting with the PM I have decided to support her this evening," he said.

Simon Hart, MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, was also backing the PM.

"I'm exasperated," he said before the vote. "I feel embarrassed for a people in my patch of west Wales who are looking at this and thinking we pay you and your party and your colleagues and your government to get on and do a competent calm job in very difficult circumstances.

"And they see this and it just looks self indulgent and it doesn't achieve anything."

Chairman of the Welsh Conservatives Byron Davies said the vote is "totally irresponsible and will not serve to meet the current challenge".

"The PM has my full support to continue and seek a solution to Brexit for the greater benefit of the UK This is an unnecessary sideshow for the satisfaction of a few," he said.

Paul Davies, leader of the Conservatives in the Welsh Assembly, warned the party "should be concentrating on is the national interest", saying he was "supporting the prime minister one hundred per cent".

Mr Davies, who will not have a vote, praised the statement Mrs May made on the steps of Downing Street.

"My message is quite clear to my parliamentary colleagues: this is self-indulgent, and there is a danger here here now that we could hand the keys to 10 Downing Street to Jeremy Corbyn," he said.

Welsh Conservative MEP Kay Swinburne, who also cannot take part in the ballot, tweeted support for the prime minister.

"What we need now is continuity of leadership, and for Theresa May to lead us through Brexit," she said.