Theresa May is facing fresh turmoil today after two of her party vice chairs quit in protest at her Brexit plans – warning they will lead to ‘Prime Minister Corbyn’.
Brexiteers Ben Bradley and Maria Caulfield handed in their resignations just a day after Boris Johnson’s dramatic departure.
Their coordinated departures are designed to inflict maximum damage on the PM who is battling for her political survival.
And it comes just hours after Ms Caulfield complained Brexiteers have ‘overnight been turned into the enemy’ in a leaked WhatsApp message.
Meanwhile, the first letters of no confidence in Mrs May have been sent in today as the Tory party descends into open warfare over its Brexit policy.
Andrew Bridgen has handed in his letter to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee – the group of backbench Tory MPs – piling further pressure on the PM.
Mrs May is battling for her political survival after a string of Brexiteers – including her Brexit chief David Davis – sensationally quit over the past 48 hours throwing her Government and departure plans into disarray.
If 48 letters are sent in then a leadership contest is will be triggered – but the PM has vowed to stay, face down her critics and fight to stay in No10.
Ben Bradley (pictured left) and Maria Caulfield (pictured right with David Cameron)both handed in their resignations in letters in which they tore into her proposals for a ‘third way’.
Their coordinated departures are designed to inflict maximum damage on the PM (pictured today with Angela Merkel at a summit in London) who is battling for her political survival
Mr Bradley, who was made Tory vice chairman for young people in the reshuffle in January, said he voted Remain but now backs Brexit because of hte immense opportunities of global trade.
In his resignation letter he said: ‘I fear that this agreement at Chequers damages those opportunities; that being tied to EU regulation, and the EU tying our hands when seeking to make new trade arrangements, will be the worst of all worlds if we do not deliver Brexit in spirit as well as in name, then we are handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to Number 10.’
Mr Bradley stuck the knife into the PM even though Downing Street stood by him when earlier this year he was exposed for posting offensive messages.
In one post he suggested men on benefits should get a vasectomy and stop relying on the welfare state to support their children.
Ms Caulfield, who was made a party vice chairman for women in the January reshuffle, is an ardent Brexiteer.
But she warned in her resignation letter she said she cannot support the Pm’s Brexit plans because ‘in my view [they] do not fully embrace the opportunities Brexit can provide.’
She added: ‘The policy may assuage vested terests but the voters will find out and hteire representatives will be found out.
‘This policy will be bad for our ocuntry nad bad for the party.
‘The direct consequences of that will be Prime Minister Corbyn.’
She used a WhatsApp thread for members of the European Research Group – the powerful alliance of backbench Brexit backing Conservatives – to complain about the way they have been treated.
She said: ‘Reflecting on yesterday the most hurtful bit has been the way those of us who support leave have overnight been turned into the enemy.
‘We have never once voted against the Government on this, we are not calling for a leadership challenge, in fact the opposite and have been constructive and flexible in our approach.
But it would be disloyal to say all is well when if you poke your nose outside the door, it clearly isn’t.
‘I will always be honest and say what I think even if it is not popular.
‘What I can’t stand is people saying one thing to your face and another behind your back.
‘I hope the PM is able to see that not all of those cheering her on yesterday have her and the country’s best interests at heart.’
Meanwhile, Tory MPs have publicly attacked each other in expletive-ridden tirades online as the party starts tearing itself apart.
The resignation of Chris Green as a ministerial bag carrier last night prompted Simon Hart to blast ‘nobody gives a f***’ at his party colleague.
West and South Pembrokeshire MP Mr Hart also lashed out at Brexiteer Tory Andrea Jenkyns for celebrating the resignation of Boris Johnson yesterday afternoon.
He insisted ‘this is not a game’ at the Morley and Outwood MP – prompting Simon Hoare to pile in as well.
Mr Hoare fired off at Ms Jenkyns: ‘Could someone/anyone remove Ms Jenkyn’s access to Twitter?
‘We are drowning in vacuity.
‘We are dealing with the future of our country, not some mystic meg predictions.’
Meanwhile, Brexiteer Tory MPs in the European Research Group – the backbench group of Leaver MPs – are turning on each other in their private WhatsApp group chat as they divided into two camps – those who back the PM’s ‘third way’ deal and those who have slammed it.
Simon Hart was the first to lay into Ms Jenkyns celebration of Boris Johnson’s resignation by warning the Morley and Outwood MP the Brexit chaos was ‘not a game’
The warning prompted Simon Hoare to wade into the row to demand Ms Jenkyns be stopped from tweeting because the party was ‘drowning in vacuity’
In a separate Twitter row last night, Mr Hart lashed out at Tory Chris Green for announcing his resignation as a ministerial bag carrier
Tories Simon Hoare (left) and Simon Hart (right) have lashed out at Brexiteer colleagues on Twitter
Theresa May tweeted a picture of her new-look Cabinet team today saying they had a ‘productive’ meeting
Tory MP Laurence Robertson branded those rallying around the PM ‘sycophants and careerists’ while Philip Davies MP accused No10 of lying about the plan.
In a seething WhatsApp message leaded to Guido Fawkes, he wrote: ‘Unfortunately whatever lies (aka spin) Downing Street might want t tell, the statement issued is there for us all to see – and that makes clear that all the red lines have been breached – including even on immigration.
‘I appreciate they think all Brexiteers are thick and they are very clever, but we are not quite as stupid as they would like to believe.’
Andrew Bridgen MP, who has put in a letter of no confidence in the PM, wrote: ‘For the first time ever, I really don’t want to go to Parliament on Monday.’
The angry exchanges came as Theresa May fought to draw a line under 24 hours of extraordinary drama that saw David Davis and Boris Johnson both quit Cabinet.
The ailing PM hailed her new look Cabinet today as she staggers from two bombshell resignations in the space of 24 hours.
The Prime Minister praised the ‘productive’ first meeting with her reshaped team as she tries to draw a line under the shattering departures of her Brexit Secretary and Foreign Secretary in protest at her ‘weak’ Brexit trade plans.
Mrs May scrambled to fill the holes in Cabinet last night with a series of radical moves – shifting Jeremy Hunt to Foreign Secretary and Dominic Raab into the key Brexit Secretary role.
Matt Hancock has been promoted from the Culture department to Health Secretary as the premier digs in for an attritional battle with Eurosceptics.
Tweeting a picture of the Cabinet meeting, Mrs May said: ‘Productive Cabinet meeting this morning – looking ahead to a busy week.
‘And sending our best wishes to @England for tomorrow!’
In a boost for Mrs May, it emerged last night that the chair of the powerful Tory 1922 committee has yet to receive the 48 letters from MPs needed to trigger a no-confidence vote.
But although she has weathered the initial shock of the resignations, furious Brexiteers have warned that a challenge could come within weeks unless she changes policy.
There is also anger that politicians who campaigned for Remain in the referendum are now installed in the four Great Offices of State – with Mrs May as PM, Philip Hammond Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt Foreign Secretary, and Sajid Javid Home Secretary.
Justice Secretary David Gauke insisted the Cabinet was now fully behind Mrs May’s approach on Brexit after the departures.
‘Clearly David and Boris have reached their conclusions that they couldn’t support the policy. I think it is right the cabinet backs the prime minister and speaks with one voice and if people don’t do that then clearly the honourable thing to do is go,’ he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.