British Prime Minister Theresa May has survived a secret vote of confidence on her leadership of the ruling Conservative Party triggered by rebel MPs disgruntled by her Brexit deal.

Of the Conservatives' 317 members of parliament, 200 voted in support of May during the poll on Wednesday evening, while 117 went against her.

The vote took place after Conservative Party MPs reached the threshold of 48 demands needed to trigger a confidence ballot on May's leadership.

Having survived the poll, which came two days after she pulled a parliamentary vote on her proposed divorce plan, May is now immune from another internal leadership challenge for 12 months.

"Whilst I'm grateful for that support, a significant number of colleagues did cast votes against me. And I've listened to what they said," May, who reportedly told her party on Wednesday she would not seek to lead it into Britain's next general election in 2022, said in a televised statement after the ballot.

May added that her government had a "renewed mission to deliver the Brexit people voted for", one that "brings back control of our money, borders and laws", during the UK's 2016 referendum on the country's decades-long membership of the European Union.

"That must start here in Westminster, with politicians on all sides coming together and acting in the national interest," she said.

'Changes nothing'

But dissatisfied Conservatives and opposition politicians said the result of the vote would not alleviate the chaos gripping May's government as it seeks to navigate the UK's departure from the 28-member European Union.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, a hardline pro-Brexit Conservative MP and one of the at least 48 who demanded a say on May's leadership, described the outcome as "terrible" for the prime minister and called on her to resign.

Fellow pro-Brexiteer Conservative Owen Patterson also suggested the ballot produced a "very poor result" for the British leader. (Aljazeera)

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