Theresa May is facing a backbench revolt with 40 jittery Tory MPs willing to sign a letter of no-confidence – just eight short of the number required to force a leadership election.
The Prime Minister, who this week announced legislation confirming the date of Britain’s departure from the European Union, has been rocked by the forced departure of two cabinet ministers, Priti Patel and Sir Michael Fallon.
Mrs May has desperately tried to keep Brexit and Remain wings of her party unified, although both elements are not confident she is the best person to govern the country.
Prime Minister Theresa May, pictured, is facing a backbench rebellion by jittery Tory MPs
Michael Gove and Boris Johnson are also reported to be on manoeuvers according to a leaked letter seen by the Mail on Sunday looking to force the PM to agree to a hard Brexit
According to The Sunday Times, only eight more signatures are required to launch a rebellion against Mrs May’s leadership.
Last month, former Tory chairman Grant Shapps launched an abortive heave against Mrs May.
He was accused of misjudging the mood of the party after senior cabinet ministers expressed their fulsome support for the prime minister.
Veteran backbencher Michael Fabricant suggested Mr Shapps held a grudge because he is no longer a minister.
‘I wouldn’t buy a used car from one embittered colleague – let alone take advice from him about who should be PM,’ he said.
Tory MP Vicky Ford dismissed Mr Shapps’ support within the party, revealing ‘he’s not even in our WhatsApp group’.
Former Tory Party Chairman Grant Shapps, pictured, last month launched a botched heave against Mrs May but failed to secure the support of any major figures in the Tory party
Former Defence Secretary Priti Patel, pictured, smiled during a service of remembrance at Witham War Memorial in Essex yesterday afternoon just days after being sacked
Sir Michael Fallon, pictured, was forced to resign as Minister for Defence after becoming embroiled in the Westminster ‘dirty dossier’ scandal, weakening Mrs May’s position
Hardline Brexiteers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove have been seeking to limit any transition arrangements claiming they should end by June 30, 2021 according to a leaked letter seen by the Mail On Sunday.
They also urged the Prime Minister to ensure members of her top team fall behind their Brexit plans by ‘clarifying their minds’ and called for them to ‘internalise the logic’, the newspaper said.
The leaked letter appears to make a thinly veiled attack Chancellor Philip Hammond, who backed remain and wants a softer Brexit, for lacking the ‘sufficient energy’ in preparing for the UK’s future outside the bloc.
A senior Government source told the newspaper the Foreign Secretary and Environment Secretary had conducted a ‘soft coup’ and described Mrs May as ‘their Downing Street hostage’.
The leaked letter to the PM from Mr Johnson and Mr Gove, titled EU Exit – Next Steps, is marked ‘For your and Gavin’s eyes only’, a reference to the PM’s chief of staff Gavin Barwell.
It states: ‘Your approach is governed by sensible pragmatism. That does not in any way dilute our ambition to be a fully independent self-governing country by the time of the next election. If we are to counter those who wish to frustrate that end, there are ways of underlining your resolve.
‘We are profoundly worried that in some parts of Government the current preparations are not proceeding with anything like sufficient energy.
‘We have heard it argued by some that we cannot start preparations on the basis of ‘No Deal’ because that would undermine our obligation of ‘sincere co-operation’ with the EU. If taken seriously, that would leave us over a barrel in 2021.
‘We all want you to push your agenda forward with confidence and have your Government articulate the following…’
No 10 said it did not comment on leaks and neither Mr Johnson or Mr Gove commented.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, meanwhile, called for Mrs May to ‘govern or go’ and demanded Mr Johnson to be sacked for ‘undermining our country’ and ‘putting our citizens at risk’.
In an article for The Sunday Times, he wrote: ‘Continuing uncertainty about the Government’s approach to Brexit is now the biggest risk facing our country.
‘The Prime Minister must end the confusion, take on the ‘no-deal’ extremists in her Government and back a jobs first Brexit for Britain.’
In a statement to the Observer, he wrote: ‘We’ve put up with Johnson embarrassing and undermining our country with his incompetence and colonial throwback views and putting our citizens at risk for long enough. It’s time for him to go.’