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Theresa May is to face a vote of no confidence later tonight with the result expected at around 9pm. Here's everything you need to know.

How will the vote of no confidence take place?

Tory MPs will troop into Committee Room 14 in Parliament, which overlooks The Thames, between 6pm and 8pm this evening.

It is a secret ballot so MPs can pledge total loyalty to the Prime Minister while wielding the knife to oust her.

Why is there a vote?

It was triggered after the threshold of 15 per cent of the parliamentary party was passed after at least 48 MPs wrote to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench MPs, demanding a vote.

When will the result be known?

The ballots will be counted immediately and Sir Graham has pledged to announce the result “as soon as possible” this evening.

There are currently 315 Tory MPs so if they all vote the winning threshold is 158.

What are the possible outcomes if Theresa May wins?

Under the rules, if she wins by one vote she can continue as Tory leader and PM.

However, in reality, she would be left in an almost impossible position if nearly half her party were against her.

If around a third of her party, some 100 MPs, vote against her, she might be able to limp on in the short term but badly wounded.

If fewer than 80 rebel against her, she would be able to argue she had seen off a revolt by hardline Eurosceptics but she may still not be able to get her Brexit plans through the Commons.

What happens if Theresa May loses the vote?

She would not be able to stand in the subsequent leadership contest.

How would that work?

Candidates for the leadership must be nominated by two Conservative MPs. If only one candidate comes forward, he or she becomes leader but that looks highly unlikely with Boris Johnson, Sajid Javid and several others expected to enter the race. So the list of contenders would be whittled down to a shortlist of two in a series of vote by MPs. The final pair then go to a postal ballot of all Tory party members, with the position of leader - and Prime Minister - going to the victor.

Participants in the postal vote need to have been Conservative party members for more than three months.

When David Cameron decided to step down as prime minister and Conservative leader after the EU referendum in 2016, five candidates came forward.

The field was narrowed to Mrs May and then-junior minister Andrea Leadsom, but she pulled out before members voted, leaving Mrs May to become leader unopposed.

How long would that take?

Sir Graham would be responsible for overseeing the contest and setting a timetable for the campaign, which could last around 12 weeks, although Brexiteers believe this could be fast-tracked.