Coup bid in chaos as rebels backtrack
THE plot to remove Theresa May was mired in chaos yesterday as the ringleaders were forced to admit they did not yet have the numbers to oust her.
Hardline Eurosceptics made a humiliating retreat only hours after gloating that they had more than enough Tory MPs to trigger a leadership challenge.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, chairman of the European Research Group (ERG) of Tory Brexiteers, rejected the Prime Minister’s plan moments after it was published on Wednesday and announced he was submithave ting a letter of no confidence. Shortly before lunchtime yesterday, his ally Steve Baker announced on a WhatsApp group for the plotters that they had enough names to force a confidence vote.
Under Tory rules, a challenge is triggered if 48 MPs submit no-confidence letters to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee.
In a message to his co-conspirators, Mr Baker wrote: ‘My count is over 48 with about a dozen probables on top.’
But a little over an hour later, the ERG’s deputy leader backtracked in a live TV interview.
He told BBC2’s Politics Live: ‘My number will be inaccurate because people will withdraw letters, they will tell me they put letters in when they haven’t, they will take them out and not tell you.’
By mid-afternoon Mr Baker had rowed back even further, telling BBC News: ‘It is much more likely next week [to secure a confidence vote].’
Pushed on how he did not have the numbers needed, he said: ‘There is always so much fierce speculation on this.’
He faced further ridicule after suggesting the Brexiteers could draw lots to pick their successor to Mrs May.
Mr Baker told Sky News: ‘What we would need to do is identify the plausible candidates. We need to stick them in a room and say, “let’s not repeat the mistake of last time”, decide among yourselves – even if you have to draw lots – which one of you is our candidate as a Brexiteer.’
Former culture secretary John Whittingdale and exminister Mark Francois are among the latest Tories to submit letters of no confidence in Mrs May. But so far, only 23 MPs have publicly declared that they have sent one.
‘Draw lots for leadership’