Theresa May (pictured leaving church in Maidenhead today) has been warned that her Government could collapse this year maid fears Tory rebels will join with Labour to try to thwart her Brexit plans
Theresa May has been warned that her Government could collapse this year maid fears Tory rebels will join with Labour to try to thwart her Brexit plans.
Three different ministers warned the Prime Minister that her tenure in No10 is under threat as they met at Chequers on Thursday to finalise their Brexit plans.
The PM was warned she faces a three-pronged threat – from hardline Brexiteers, vocal Remainers and from the DUP who are propping her up in Downing Street.
Tory rebel Anna Soubry has tabled an amendment to a Government Bill calling for the UK to stay in a customs union with the EU.
And chief whip Julian Smith told Mrs May there is a ‘very real threat’ that 15 to 20 Tory MPs could unite with Labour to back it and inflict a humiliating defeat on the PM.
Senior ministers are reportedly in discussions to raise the stakes and turn the vote into a confidence vote, according to The Sunday Times.
This would mean the Tories would have to call another General Election if the PM was defeated.
Supporters of the move hope this would stop some Tories joining the rebels and kill off the vote – but it risks plunging the Government and its Brexit plans into crisis if it was lost anyway.
Meanwhile, Brexit Secretary David Davis told the PM that Eurosceptic MPs are ‘militarising’ against her.
He said Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the powerful Tory Brexit-backing group, the European Research Group, was stirring up criticism of her.
And in a third threat, Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley warned Mrs May that she cannot trust her allies the DUP to actually support her when it came to the crunch.
Mrs May entered into a confidence and supply deal with the DUP after losing the Tory majority at the election.
The DUP’s ten MPs agreed to support the PM in big votes – like the budget – in return for a £1billion of funding for Northern Ireland.
Three different ministers warned the Prime Minister that her tenure in No10 is under threat as they met at Chequers on Thursday (pictured) to finalise their Brexit plans.
But the DUP have become entrenched in a bitter row with Sinn Fein over powersharing in Northern Ireland -which collapsed 13 months ago.
And Mrs Bradely warned the PM the party cannot be trusted to ‘turn up’ and vote to save her.
Meanwhile, other ministers are discussing the possibility that Sinn Fein’s seven MPs could beak with history and take up their seven seats in the Commons to oust her.
The SNP has never taken up its seats in the British Parliament as it does not recognise its authority.
But if they changed their policy then Mrs May wafer-thin working majority – which hangs on the DUP voting with her – would be eroded even further.
Mrs May’s tenure in Number 10 has been dogged by almost constant talk that she could face a leadership challenge.