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This good piece by @ThimontJack leaves out the possibility of a vote of no confidence in circumstances where a majority of the HoC said they’d back an alternative PM.
The consequence of a vote of no confidence (VNC) (and no subsequent vote of confidence within 14 days) is dissolution and a general election. The PM stays in post, however, until the GE.
That would a problem if we were in, say, mid October.
The Queen must have a PM, and there’s no one else. And the convention that no controversial decision is taken by a PM who has lost a VNC would be overridden if it is impossible to delay the decision until after the GE.
But if it was clear after a VNC that an alternative PM could form a Government commanding the confidence of the House, the Queen would by convention have to send for her/him and invite her/him to form a Government. Which would then win the 2nd VNC, averting a GE.
So the way of getting rid of an obdurate PM determined to implement “no deal”, where there was no time for a GE, would be for a majority of MPs to back an alternative PM opposed to that course.
Politically tricky: but the agreement could of course be temporary and on the basis that there would be a GE once the crisis was over.
