TORY
THERESA May is today agonising over whether to pull Tuesday’s big Brexit vote to save her skin.
Or she could charge ahead despite certain defeat and risk her premiership crashing in flames this week.
Although cold-calling is banned in the Berkshire village of Sonning where she lives, the PM is hitting the phones today, desperately trying to persuade wavering MPs to back her Brexit withdrawal plan.
Labour, SNP, DUP, other opposition MPs and at least 106 Tories are adamant that they will vote against her – and a confidence vote in the Government could follow immediately.
Despite Cabinet ministers and backbench shop steward Sir Graham Brady pleading for delay, Mrs May stubbornly maintains in public that the vote will take place at 8.30pm on Tuesday, even though she will be crucified. A No 10 source said it is “one hundred per cent certain” the division will go ahead on Tuesday, adding: “We are a hundred per cent focussed on winning it.”
Divisions in the Tory party are already entrenched and MPs refer to each other by the C-word as often as they use Christian names.
The atmosphere in the Commons Tea Room is so toxic, many MPs avoid it.
Brexiteer Tory Andrew Bridgen says party deputy chairman James Cleverly gave him a friendly manhug when they met at London’s Carlton Club last week.
But Mr Bridgen claims witnesses told him later that the moment he popped to the loo, Mr Cleverly badmouthed him behind his back.
Mr Cleverly did not comment but Mr Bridgen said: “The whole Tory party is now engaged in waging an uncivil war.”
Mrs May had another bad day yesterday, though it would only be news if she had a good one. She learned the