Theresa May faced a growing backlash to her vow to fight on as Prime Minister today as she was warned she would be ‘finished’ if she makes any more mistakes.
The PM’s public commitment on a trip to Japan she plans to fight the next election as Tory leader have prompted more Tories to join the revolt, it was claimed today.
Reports suggest more than 25 MPs are now prepared to call for Mrs May to go. At least 48 must come forward to trigger a Tory leadership contest.
Damian Green, the First Secretary of State and Mrs May’s defacto deputy, went public today to warn rebels to back the PM or risk Jeremy Corbyn winning power.
Theresa May (pictured at church in Maidenhead today) faced a growing backlash to her vow to fight on as PM today as she was warned she would be ‘finished’ if she makes any more mistakes
Mrs May will enter the new Parliamentary term on Tuesday braced for a possible Commons rebellion on her flagship Brexit legislation.
The Repeal Bill – designed to pave the way for Brexit by copying EU law onto the British statute book – begins its second reading on Thursday before a crunch vote next Monday night.
Just a handful of rebel Tory MPs could inflict humiliating and catastrophic defeat if joined by Labour and the SNP.
An ally of David Davis told the Sunday Telegraph: ‘The stakes are very high for her.
‘If she has one more fumble, she’s finished. Even if she makes a spectacular success of Brexit, people won’t forgive her for the last election.
Mrs May (pictured with husband Philip today) will enter the new Parliamentary term on Tuesday braced for a possible Commons rebellion on her flagship Brexit legislation
‘The Conservative Party, not she, will decide when it’s time for her to go.’
Writing in the same paper, Mr Green called for calm.
He said: ‘Few political debates have been as divisive as the European one.
‘I fought as hard as I could on the Remain side, but I believe strongly that as a democrat I should respect the result, and that as a politician it is my duty to make the Brexit settlement as good as possible.
‘Starting the new Parliamentary session with the Withdrawal Bill shows that it is now the job of all MPs, including my former colleagues on the Stronger In campaign, to respect the will of the people and get the best possible deal for Britain.
‘No Conservative wants a bad Brexit deal, or to do anything that increases the threat of a Corbyn government.’
Mrs May is preparing for the Conservative Party Conference at the end of September.
Damian Green, the First Secretary of State and Mrs May’s defacto deputy, went public today to warn rebels to back the PM or risk Jeremy Corbyn winning power
The PM (pictured leaving Tokyo on Saturday) made a public commitment on a trip to Japan she plans to fight the next election as Tory leader
The occasion will be both a chance to reboot her premiership but also for rebellion to ferment.
Her intervention in Japan has angered Conservative colleagues who believed she would stand aside after Brexit in the summer of 2019.
A former minister told the Sunday Times the number of rebels eager to dislodge her had increased by ‘two or three’ after Mrs May’s ‘I am not a quitter’ claim.
They said: ‘She came to us and said, ‘It’s in your hands.’ Now she says it’s in her hands and ‘I can do what I like’. It’s delusional.
‘It’s yet another reminder that she’s not that good.’