Podemos to propose second vote of no confidence against Rajoy if PSOE fails

Podemos’s leader Pablo Iglesias said on Tuesday that his party is ready to table a second vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy should rival PSOE fail in its aim to unseat him.

The opposition party, currently fourth in voter intentions according to polls, is pushing for elections to be called as soon as possible after a Spanish High Court revealed last week that the PP party was guilty of participating in the Gurtel corruption scandal.

In the background, and in an unexpected turn of events, the ex-treasurer of the ruling PP party, Luis Bárcenas, told Spanish daily El Mundo that it was cynical of the High Court to accuse the whole party because it's "impossible2 to keep track of what thousands of members do.

Last week, Barcenas was sentenced to 33 years in prison for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.

PSOE leader, Pedro Sánchez, who had proposed a first vote of no confidence on the back of the court ruling, said on Tuesday that supporting the vote didn’t mean support for PSOE.

Rather, he said, it was "a yes for democracy". He also urged MPs to ask themselves if PM Rajoy was fit to stay in power after the revelation that his party had received illegal financing.

He also claimed that supporting the vote would lead to a normalisation of the political landscape by triggering fresh general elections.

Sanchez said he would negotiate the date for new elections with the rest of parties if elected as caretaker PM following Friday's vote .