MAY’S DEAD IN THE WATER & TORY SHARKS ARE CIRCLING
Plots will be hatched at summer prosecco parties says Lidlington
THERESA May is preparing to go for a desperate relaunch of her premiership as Tory sharks start circling around Downing Street.
Donald Trump’s G20 boost of a big trade deal with Brexit Britain did not help the Prime Minister as she flew back to face a “prosecco plot” against her by fellow Cabinet members.
The PM was forced to send out loyal allies yesterday to stamp on speculation that she is about to be toppled by David Davis, the Brexit Secretary.
May’s attempts to survive as Tory leader are looking increasingly precarious, amid talk among allies of Davis replacing her before the party’s autumn conference.
Davis has described leadership speculation as “self-indulgent” but Andrew Mitchell – the former Tory Chief Whip and a friend of the Brexit Secretary – was reported to have told a dinner that the Prime Minister was “dead in the water”.
One MP who was at the dinner said: “Mitchell effectively said May was dead in the water. He said she was weak, had lost her authority, couldn’t go on and we needed a new leader.
“Some of us were very surprised and disagreed with him.”
Former development secretary Mitchell downplayed the remarks but did not explicitly deny having said them.
He said: “This is an overheated report of a private dinner conversation.”
It was also claimed that Mitchell told plotting MPs to “lie down in a darkened room then take a holiday”.
Other reports claim Davis-supporting MPs are pushing for May to stand down in the autumn.
But Justice Secretary David Lidington said the stories were caused by MPs going to “rather too many summer parties for their own good”.
“The summer parties are the key to this,” he told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show. “I’ve been in parliament 25 years and almost every July a combination of too much sun and too much warm prosecco leads to gossipy stories in the media.”
He added: “The public want politicians to go away and deal with the real problems people in this country are facing.”
The mood in the Conservative Party is so overheated, some so-called “Kamikaze Tories”, who want a hard Brexit, would be willing to risk Jeremy Corbyn becoming PM to secure a change in leadership.
One Brexiteer said: “If replacing May safeguards Brexit and risks Corbyn getting in to No 10, it’s not as bad as losing Brexit. A brief dose of a left-wing Government is not the end of the world. In the 1970s, it spawned our greatest PM, Margaret Thatcher.”
Senior Tory backbencher Nicholas Soames described the claims as “grossly irresponsible”.
He added: “Most Conservative MPs and party members are determined to rally behind Mrs May. Any Tory who thinks electing a proto-Marxist Government is better than losing a hard Brexit is barmy.”
The moves came as the flailing Prime Minister prepared for a relaunch ahead of Thursday’s publication of the EU repeal bill, which is likely to face difficulty passing through parliament in the autumn.
May is to use the anniversary of becoming PM to reassert her determination to stick to the “build a country that works for everyone” vision she set out on the steps of Downing Street a year ago.
Speaking at an event to launch the Taylor report on modern work practices – which she commissioned after taking office – the PM will tomorrow say that her commitment to change Britain is “undimmed”.
May will acknowledge again that she messed up the general election that threw away her Commons majority.
In a sign of her weakened position, she will appeal to opposition parties to “contribute, not just criticise” as parliament considers the Brexit process. But describing her choices as playing it safe or striking out “with renewed confidence and vigour”, May will promise to “take big decisions in the long-term interests of Britain”.
In a preview of the speech released last night, the Prime Minister vowed to “get to grips” with the challenges facing the UK
She said: “A year ago, I stood outside Downing Street for the first time as Prime Minister and set out the defining characteristics of the Government I was determined to lead.
“A clear understanding that the EU referendum result was not just a vote to leave the European Union but a deeper and more profound call for change across our country.
“A belief that at the heart of that change must lie a commitment to greater fairness in our country as we tackle the injustice and vested interests that threaten to hold us back, and make Britain a country that works for everyone, not just a privileged few.
“And a determination to address difficult issues and take big decisions in the long-term interests of Britain, so that we emerge from this period of great national change stronger and better able to seize the opportunities ahead as we fulfil the promise of Brexit together.
“It will be even more important to make the case for our policies and our values, and to win the battle of ideas both in parliament as well as in the country.
“So, I say to the other parties in the House of Commons… come forward with your own views and ideas about how we can tackle these challenges as a country.
“We may not agree on everything, but through debate and discussion – the hallmarks of our Parliamentary democracy – ideas can be clarified and improved and a better way forward found.
“It is in that spirit that we will take this agenda forward in the months ahead. And this new context presents us, as a government, with a wider choice.
“At this critical time in our history, we can either be timid or we can be bold. We can play it safe or we can strike out with renewed courage and vigour, making the case for our ideas and values and challenging our opponents to contribute, not just criticise.
“This country needs a government that is prepared to take the bold action necessary to secure a better future for Britain and we’re determined to be that government.
“In everything we do, we will act with an unshakeable sense of purpose to build the better, fairer Britain we all want to see.”