Of resignations and threat to leadership from Tory Euro-sceptics
Kingdom at risk.
Earlier Tory MP and chair of the European Research Group of pro-Brexit backbenchers Jacob Rees-Mogg struck the first blow in what could lead to a challenge to Mrs May’s leadership.
The Euro-sceptic said he expected that the threshold of 48 letters would be reached but denied he was staging a coup.
Mr Rees-Mogg, in his letter to the 1922 Committee chairman, Sir Graham Brady, said the deal has: “Turned out to be worse than anticipated and fails to meet the promises given to the nation by the Prime Minister.”
‘‘ I believe with every fibre of my being that the course I have set out is the right one
The old Etonian MP for North East Somerset said he was not putting himself forward as a contended but named several who could be.
He listed Dominic Raab, Esther McVey, Boris Johnson, David Davis and Penny Mordaunt as possible leadership successors.
Even if she survives a no confidence vote from her own party, the Prime Minister still faces a battle to get the draft agreement approved in a vote in the House of Commons next month. Opposition parties have said they will oppose it
Both pro-Brexit and remainers in the Tory party have said they will not support it, Labour and the SNP will also vote against it.
And with the Northern Irish MPs in the Democratic Unionist Party, which the Prime Minister relies on for a majority, speaking out against it, it is unlikely to command enough support.
Labour’s Brexit spokesman Sir Keir Starmer said it was a “second rate document”.
In the house of Commons, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, said the Prime Minister should “withdraw her half-baked deal”.
He said that it was clear it did not have the backing of the cabinet nor of the country as a whole.
The Liberal Democrats are actively campaigning for a people’s vote on the deal which could see the UK remain in the EU will vote against it.
As well as Mr Raab and Ms McVey quitting, Northern Ireland Minister Shailesh Vara and junior Brexit minister Suella Braverman also left their posts.
They join Jo Johnson who quit as Transport Minister last week and David Davis as Brexit Secretary, Boris Johnson as foreign Secretary in July along with junior ministers Steve Baker at Brexit and Guto Bebb at Defence.