New threat to Theresa May's job as she battles Tory Brexit mutiny and House of Lords fight
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Loading... - Siomi Kennedy
- 29 Jan 2021
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Theresa May is clinging to her job once again as she battles a pro-Brexit Tory mutiny and an anti-Brexit push in the House of Lords.
The Prime Minister is facing a string of negative whispers about her future as she struggles to avoid a knife in the back - or the front.
Tory anger is reaching fever pitch after reports the party is close to the 48 disgruntled MPs it would need to trigger a leadership contest.
And on the other side, Mrs May faces an attempt to inflict a symbolic but powerful defeat on her flagship EU Withdrawal Bill this week by arch-Remainer Lord Adonis.
The Bill is entering 12 marathon days of scrutiny in the House of Lords - where Labour and Lib Dem peers outnumber Conservatives, and are determined to change Mrs May's Brexit strategy.
Lord Adonis will kick off proceedings on Tuesday by asking peers to "regret" several aspects of the Bill before it's even had its first vote - a rare move in the Lords.
One Remainer peer told the Mirror: "We're going to give her a very hard time."
On the Tory benches, Brexiteers are furious at signs there could be a soft Brexit after Chancellor Philip Hammond called for "very modest" changes and a "middle way".
Several condemnations of Mrs May's approach appear in a string of Sunday newspapers today.
One ally of Boris Johnson told the Sun on Sunday MPs fear Theresa May is in danger “of f***ing this up” adding: “The stakes are too high”.
The ally added Mr Johnson will soon spell out his own “bold” and “buccaneering” vision of Brexit.
In a bid to calm the growing row today David Lidington, the Cabinet Office minister, said Britain will “have the option” to diverge from EU rules during a transition period after 2019.
Mr Lidington said the UK would be free to move away from EU rules after a transition period.
He also claimed that "implementation" period of around two years after Brexit day in March 2019 would still produce "big, big differences" to the current relationship.
Leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg had complained taking new EU rules would make Britain a “vassal state” and warned today: “Just saying in a waffly way this will be time-limited is deeply unsatisfactory”.
Mr Rees-Mogg also blasted Chancellor Philip Hammond, telling ITV's Peston on Sunday he "seems to be disagreeing with government policy” and “the history of Chancellors being in opposition to Prime Ministers is not a good one.”
He would not give his backing for the Chancellor to stay in his job and said: "This is real trouble for the government".
Elsewhere Tory backbencher Johnny Mercer told the Mail on Sunday: “We need to be doing better or we will pay the price with the electorate.
"We have to face down some of the very clear challenges on housing, the NHS and defence.”
Former Army man Mr Mercer declined to comment on the PM personally.
But he told The Sunday Times: "I think [Jeremy Corbyn] could well be prime minister if we don’t get our shit together.”
An ex-minister told the Observer: “There is no way she will fight another election.
"The reshuffle was a total disaster and upset a lot of people - people fired, people moved sideways and people ignored."
Grant Shapps - who faced humiliation when Tory whips ousted him as a previous plotter - openly called for Mrs May to name her departure date.
Mr Shapps told the Mail on Sunday more fresh backbenchers are sending their letters of no confidence this weekend.
Former Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers said the PM had been "bold" but warned Britain is heading towards a "dilution of Brexit'', with the country in danger of remaining in the EU "in all but name''.
Other Tories signalled Mrs May could cling on even though many of her MPs have lost faith in her.
One told Sky News: "Vast majority of Conservative MPs and ministers believe she is hopeless.
"But many think [it] would be irresponsible to hold [a] three month leadership election at [a] critical Brexit moment."
Tory MP Mark Pritchard - who previously said the PM should sack disloyal MPs - said: “No major revolt on the Tory backbenches.
"But there is a growing frustration that No10 is not plugged in to the views and opinions of many backbench MPs or even interested.”
The final say on triggering a leadership contest comes down to the Tory MP Graham Brady.
He chairs the backbench 1922 Committee, so only he knows when 48 no-confidence calls have been sent.
Once the total hits 48, he has a duty under party rules to inform the Prime Minister and trigger a full leadership contest - in which she can take part.
He was handed a knighthood just weeks ago.
