May receives show of loyalty after talk of leadership challenge

London: British Prime Minister Theresa May received a show of support from her Conservative Party on Wednesday at a meeting in parliament, shifting focus away from talk of an imminent leadership challenge over her Brexit strategy.
May had asked to address her divided party's powerful "1922 Committee" amid persistent criticism from within her party which has pushed Britain's sterling currency down to a seven-week low.
But, her arrival was greeted with cheers and some of those who heard her speak said it had gone well, and that the party was united behind her.
"She's brilliantly united the party... well at least for tonight," said one lawmaker who attended the meeting. Another said: "It was a good meeting."
"There is an appetite among the majority of the party to pull together because the risks are too high."
With just over five months to go until Britain's scheduled departure from the EU on March 29, May's Brexit negotiation has stalled over a disagreement on a fallback plan for the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Many business leaders and investors fear politics could scupper an agreement, thrusting the world's fifth largest economy into a "no-deal" Brexit they say would spook markets and clog up the arteries of trade.
May has angered both supporters of Brexit and pro-EU lawmakers since failing to clinch a deal at an EU summit last week by raising the possibility of extending a post-Brexit transition period to help ease the deadlocked negotiations.
An Ipsos MORI poll on Wednesday showed a record 78 per cent of voters lacked confidence in May to get a good deal from Brussels, compared to 70 per cent in September.
"And yet, the public don’t put all the blame at her door - and nor is there much evidence that they would have much more confidence in anyone else," said Gideon Skinner, Head of Political Research at Ipsos MORI.
Many Conservative Party lawmakers are wary of toppling a leader on the eve of Britain’s most significant political and economic move since World War Two. Many also fear an election could bring the opposition Labour Party into power.
Ever since losing her party its majority in parliament with a botched bet on a 2017 snap election, May has faced talk of a leadership challenge.
A vote of no-confidence in May would be triggered if 48 Conservative lawmakers submit letters to the chairman of the 1922 committee to demand such a vote.