Mogg & Co plotting new bid to oust the PM
HARD-BRexiteeRs led by Jacob Rees-Mogg threatened to oust the Prime Minister last night – only weeks after the humiliation of their last botched coup.
After a meeting of the european Research Group of eurosceptic MPs, the hardliners again claimed they were close to having the required number of signatures to trigger a confidence vote in theresa May.
Mr Rees-Mogg, who led last month’s aborted attempt to unseat the Prime Minister, demanded that she must either ‘govern or quit’.
Under the rules of the Conservative party, Mrs May will face a confidence vote if 48 tory MPs write to sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the backbench 1922 committee, demanding one.
Mr Rees-Mogg and his co-conspirators faced embarrassment last month after they publicly called for Mrs May to be removed, only to then admit that they did not have the numbers to oust her.
it is unclear whether yesterday’s decision to delay the Brexit vote will trigger any further letters from disgruntled tory MPs.
Potential leadership contenders were still plotting their next moves last night, with Michael Gove refusing to rule out a joint ticket with Amber Rudd should the PM fall. Home secretary sajid Javid was also accused yesterday of sounding out potential supporters on the backbenches, while Boris Johnson has been forced to deny offering Cabinet jobs in return for MPs’ support.
Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt and Dominic Raab are both said ‘Another leadership hat in the ring...’ to be considering bids, while esther McVey says she would consider standing. Mr Gove, the environment secretary, yesterday warned the discussion over who might replace the Prime Minister was a ‘distraction’ as she seeks to secure the best Brexit deal.
But when asked whether he would like to rule himself out as a potential contender, Mr Gove told the today programme: ‘i think it is extremely unlikely that i would ever be in that position, but obviously if...’
Pushed again, he replied: ‘i think it is extreeeeemely unlikely that i would ever be in the position.
‘But you never know, if Boris Johnson nominated me for the leadership and Philip Hammond seconded then i might think again, but i think it is extremely unlikely that scenario.’
When questioned on what he thought about Work and Pensions secretary Miss Rudd as a potential running mate, Mr Gove said: ‘i love Amber, i think she’s great, but i think talk about the leadership is actually a distraction from the critical question. the Prime Minister is best placed to secure the right deal for Britain.’
With Mrs May’s decision to delay the vote, possibly until the new year, the most immediate threat to her position would appear to come from the triggering of a confidence vote.
speaking after last night’s eRG meeting, Mr Rees-Mogg said it had been a ‘damaging day for the Conservative Party’, a ‘rotten day for the Government’, and a ‘humiliating day for the country’.
‘i think the feeling is sad that the Government is in such a mess. i thought it was as humiliating for the Government to pull the vote as to lose by 100,’ he said.
‘i think the likelihood of leaving without a withdrawal agreement has gone up, but i think we should aim for a managed no deal, but i have made clear that we need a new prime minister to do that.
‘if you look at today, this is the failure of the Prime Minister’s policy.... she is the one who has led the government to this defeat, she is the one who ought to take responsibility.’
earlier, he had said: ‘ What has two years of theresa May doing Brexit amounted to? An undeliverable deal Parliament would roundly reject, if the Prime Minister had the gumption to allow it to go before the Commons.
‘this is not governing, it risks putting Jeremy Corbyn into government by failing to deliver Brexit. We cannot continue like this. the Prime Minister must either govern or quit.’
Hardline Brexiteers yesterday claimed that two more letters had been submitted in the past 24 hours, but one source joked: ‘By my count we’re now up to 142.’