May tells Cabinet: Tory squabbling could let Corbyn into Number 10

THERESA May will today warn warring Cabinet ministers that they risk letting Jeremy Corbyn into No 10 unless they stop their toxic briefings against each other.

The Prime Minister will try to assert her authority by saying that a string of damaging leaks and vicious briefings are undermining public confidence in the Government.

And she will say a Tory civil war could result in another election that might allow Labour to seize power.

Last night, Mrs May pointedly thanked backbench MPs for their loyalty in the wake of the general election, when senior Cabinet figures have been manoeuvring for her job.

And at a summer drinks reception in Parliament, she told Tory MPs she wanted ‘no backbiting, no carping’.

She added: ‘The choice is me or Jeremy Corbyn – and nobody wants him. Go away, have a proper summer break and come back ready for serious business.’

Mrs May’s intervention follows days of toxic briefings about last week’s Cabinet meeting. A series of leaks have apparently been designed to damage Chancel- lor Philip Hammond. He believes proBrexit ministers are targeting him because of his bid to prioritise the economy over immigration during the negotiations.

One unnamed Cabinet minister claimed the Chancellor was trying to ‘f*** up Brexit’. Others criticised him privately for saying that public sector workers are ‘overpaid’.

Smears have also been spread about Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. And yesterday a former aide to Environment Secretary Michael Gove attacked Brexit Secretary David Davis, describing him as ‘thick as mince’, and claiming he was gearing up for a betrayal on Brexit.

A government source said: ‘The PM has been pretty unimpressed by what we have seen in the last few days. With a narrow majority the need to work as a team is more important than ever.

‘Briefings about what happened at Cabinet are extremely unhelpful. We need to get on with the job and turn our fire on the opposition and the damage that Jeremy Corbyn would do to our country if he ever got his hands on the levers of power.’

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman added: ‘Cabinet must be able to hold discussions of Government policy in private and the Prime Minister will be reminding her colleagues of that.’

Former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine said the ‘very distressing’ briefings were a sign of Mrs May’s post-election weakness – and suggested she lacked the authority to sack those responsible. But senior Tory MPs are urging her to stamp her authority on the Cabinet by sacking ministers who refuse to knuckle under.

One said: ‘She is in a much stronger position than people think. The party is very, very clear – we want her to continue.’

Dominic Cummings, former director of the Vote Leave campaign, yesterday attacked Mr Davis, saying he was preparing to cave in over Brexit.

Mr Cummings, a former aide to Mr Gove, suggested the Brexit Secretary was being used by Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood to sign up to a lengthy transition period that could leave the UK in the EU in all but name for years.

And he claimed provisions buried in the Repeal Bill would allow this to happen.

Mr Cummings said Mr Davis was ‘manufactured exactly to specification as the perfect stooge for Heywood: thick as mince, lazy as a toad and vain as Narcissus’.

He said his latest comments were not prompted by any falling out between Mr Gove and Mr Davis.

‘Davis is thick as mince, lazy as a toad’