(CNN)Suddenly, things are about to get very serious for British Prime Minister Theresa May.
Lawmakers will this week hold a nonbinding vote on the future of Britain's trade after Brexit. It is a vote that could set in motion a series of events that could lead to the fall of the Prime Minister and her Conservative government.
The House of Commons will vote on whether the UK should stay in the customs union with the European Union -- allowing tariff-free trade to continue with the bloc after Brexit.
While the vote won't be legally binding, it carries huge symbolic weight, because it will show the strength of opposition among members of Parliament to May's plan for a hard Brexit -- which would see the UK leave both the customs union and the EU's single market.
Leaving the customs union is one of the Prime Minister's red lines in negotiations with Brussels. If the vote goes in favor of staying in, it is a serious test for May's premiership.
Last week, the House of Lords voted against May's government and in favor of Britain staying in the customs union -- showing that there is no majority for a hard Brexit in that upper chamber.
Potentially, there is also no majority for a hard Brexit in the House of Commons. What's more, the Prime Minister has no overall parliamentary majority for her ruling Conservative Party, which is only in power because of the support from the smaller Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party.
So May would have a dilemma: does she continue to maintain her red lines on Brexit, or does she start to recognize her political weakness and make concessions?
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Some British media has suggested that this vote may become a confidence vote: meaning that if the government loses the vote, it has 14 days to win a confidence vote. If it fails to do so, Britain will hold its third general election in four years.
