Tories spark second leadership vote two years after the last and everyone made the same Brexit joke

Three quarters of a million marched for a People's Vote in London. Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz / Barcroft Media via Getty Images. - Credit: Barcroft Media via Getty Images

You can’t have a second referendum, but Brexiteers are entitled to call a fresh vote on leadership. Got it?

When the Conservatives announced that there would be a vote of no confidence everyone on social media appeared to make the same joke about them changing their minds.

The vote had been triggered by the right of the Conservative party – the very same individuals who have said it would be against the ‘will of the people’ to hold a fresh EU referendum.

As Jacob Rees-Mogg helped to gather the 48 letters to trigger the vote, he used a Sky News interview to liken a second referendum to a ‘dictatorship’.

Twitter were quick to point out that the Conservatives had a leadership contest just two years ago to elect Theresa May, and wondered why the same logic could not be applied to Brexit?

Joy Lo Dico tweeted: ‘Conservative MPs got a vote on their leader in 2016. They chose May. Now they’ve asked for a second vote. A second vote, people.’

Journalist and The New European writer Gavin Esler said: ‘The Conservative party took a decision in 2016 to elect Theresa May as leader. Some have changed their minds so they are having a second vote. British people have also changed their minds since 2016. We need our Peoples Vote. Or is it only Tory MPs allowed to change their minds?’

Comedian David Schneider joked the Tories should ‘get over it’.

He said: ‘Listen, Tories. You had a vote on Theresa May in 2016. How dare you ask for a second vote just because now you can see how shit everything is and her promises were lies? She won. That’s democracy, get over it!’

Geordie Shore star Scotty T tweeted: O’k let’s get this right, the Tory’s asked for a second vote on who should be their leader but we can’t ask for a second vote on leaving the EU… Even though the first campaign was built on lies.’

Brexiteer Julia Hartley-Brewer was a lone voice in trying to refute the claims that the Brexiteers were being hypocritical.

She said: ‘The key difference is holding a second vote AFTER Theresa May has actually been leader & PM for 2 years. We haven’t actually had Brexit yet. It’s really not that complicated, folks.’