The Prime Minister will face a vote of confidence in the House of Commons tonight.

The chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee announced the threshold of 48 letters - 15 per cent of the parliamentary party - needed to trigger a vote has been reached.

A ballot will be held between 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday evening in the House of Commons.

It comes after a number of Essex MPs submitted letters of no confidence.

James Duddridge, Mark Francois and Maldon MP John Whittingdale were among first 27. Harwich MP Bernard Jenkin has also sent a letter.

Here is what our north Essex MPs had to say.

Colchester’s Conservative MP Will Quince said: "As for the Prime Minister’s position, I do not believe in undermining her or playing party politics.

"That is why I have not called for her resignation, and do not intend on doing so. I will support her through current events, but I cannot vote for a motion that I believe will irrevocably weaken the United Kingdom for years to come."

Harwich and North Essex MP Sir Bernard Jenkin, said: “I have not persuaded others to do this.

“I put my letter in privately, but it has been clear to me for some time that our present Prime Minister can’t carry the confidence of the House of Commons with her EU policy.

“Also, being a minority government without the support of at least one opposition party we can’t govern so it is imperative we change tact and change leader.

“I think Brexit has been made more difficult by a Prime Minister obviously very uninterested about Brexit.

“It would be better to have a more enthusiastic Prime Minister who believes in the prosperity, future and resilience of our great country.”

John Whittingdale, MP for Maldon, expressed a "degree of sadness" after requesting the vote.

He said: “I wrote a letter five weeks ago expressing a vote of no confidence in the prime minister.

“I wrote asking for a vote with a degree of sadness at having to do so, but we are at a critical time where we need to get the best deal we can for this country.

“If she (Theresa May) is unwilling to seek an alternative then we have to do that ourselves.”

James Cleverly, Tory MP for Braintree, tweeted this morning: “Clearly I’m disappointed that some in my party have triggered a vote of no confidence just as the PM is having a series of international meetings to deliver Brexit. I will, of course, be voting in support of Theresa May.”

Clacton MP Giles Watling previously said the Conservatives should not waste time with a “pointless leadership contest” as a different Prime Minister would face the same problems.

He said he will be backing Mrs May to remain as Prime Minister.

“Why change horses when you are in the final furlong of the race?” he said.

“I think this is a very poorly timed vote of no confidence.

“My feeling is that she will win it because everybody respects how hard she has worked and she will bring us through to a successful conclusion.”