london mean speech rescue theresa may premiership public humiliation assemble conservative party thrust future doubt try revive brexit talk may authority already shatter botch bet june snap election lose party majority parliament days open formal brexit talk european union survival dependent absence obvious successor could unite split party around brexit fear election many conservatives think would let opposition labour leader jeremy corbyn power `` n't think anybody want may stay particularly want pm think lot people want stay time yet right want happen next `` say anand menon professor european politics king 's college london attend party conference graphics 'tracking brexit effect talk behind scenes whether stay go massive distraction uk face unprecedented challenge brexit even speech obvious successor rivalries divisions often mention foreign minister boris johnson finance minister philip hammond interior minister amber rudd brexit minister david davis conservative lawmakers decide whether proceed may britain one year negotiate term eu divorce outline future relationship due leave late march 2019. may stay brexit talk guide one weak leaders recent british history may go britain would thrust another political crisis clock tick brexit many business leaders britain eu fear disorderly exit would imperil britain 2.5 trillion economy shock global financial market undermine london position financial center rival new york yesterday humiliate may say one eu diplomat whole country public mood britain completely different planet whole island take orbit galaxy turn around sterling fell fresh three-week low thursday 0.8 percent 1.3144 dollar day brexit vote pound trade 1.50 one bizarre british political speeches generation may address annual conference ruin comedian hand bogus employment termination letter sign rival johnson repeat cough fit even letter fall slogans set behind may battle finish speech greet applause hall hug husband philip bound onto stage embrace immediately speech spokesman say happy way go british media less enthusiastic may final warn speech shamble time front page headline say guardian say cough splutter may british dream turn nightmare say last gasp sun britain popular newspaper compare party 1970s television classic fawlty tower monty python star john cleese play basil run shambolic hotel complain foreigners like sign outside fawlty tower miss letter behind theresa may emblem tragicomic farce need basil hotel tory party sun say editorial entire party come unstuck business minister greg clark say conservatives stay cool-headed praise may show gut grace cop interruptions speech spokesmen down street conservative party decline comment many conservative activists fear another leadership contest exacerbate divide party europe issue help sink last three conservative prime minister david cameron john major margaret thatcher many worry leadership contest would pave way election victory labour corbyn cast marxist seek impose socialist fantasy britain johnson popular activists leader leave campaign 2016 referendum would get support many brexit opponents parliamentary party lawmakers want young generation take feel single candidate group yet ready one conservative activist say one three chance leadership challenge end year challenge 48 conservative lawmakers need write chairman 1922 committee ask confidence vote problem may activist say condition anonymity media focus every slight mishap cast flaw leader find increasingly difficult see way forward moment worry conservative lawmaker ed vaizey tell bbc british pm may 's speech fiasco party puzzle next