Allies of Theresa May today warned Brexiteer plotters that any attempt to oust the PM would be 'crazy' and doomed to failure.
The defiant message came as it emerged that around 50 Tory Eurosceptics openly 'wargamed' how to carry out a coup if Mrs May refuses to drop her Chequers plan.
The brazen mutiny at a meeting of the European Research Group (ERG) last night underlines the seriousness of the threat to the premier.
One source said the level of manouevring against the leader was 'amazing'. 'There were 50 people present, openly discussing how to get rid of the PM and literally no one said 'Oooh no, we mustn't talk about that'.'
Another source said the discussions continued even when Tory Party whips entered the room. 'It was brazen – really detailed discussion of how best you game the leadership rules.'
Senior figures including Jacob Rees-Mogg and David Davis today tried to pour cold water on the idea they were trying to kick out Mrs May, insisting it is the policy they are trying to change.
Asked about the prospect of changing leader at the launch of Eurosceptic plans for the Irish border this morning, Mr Davis said 'we have got a very good' prime minister and he only disagreed with her on 'one issue'.
As many as 50 Tory MPs were openly discussed how to get rid of Theresa May (pictured at PMQs today) at a meeting last night
Asked about the prospect of changing leader at the launch of Eurosceptic plans for the Irish border this morning, David Davis (pictured) said 'we have got a very good' prime minister and he only disagreed with her on 'one issue'
The level of discontent will alarm Mrs May's aides who know it takes just 48 MPs to force a confidence vote.
However, senior Tories believe the ERG does not have the numbers to defeat her.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove, one of the leading figures in Vote Leave, today urged his colleagues to back away from a confrontation.
'I urge everyone to get behind the PM. I think she is doing a great job at the moment.'
One Cabinet minister, an ally of Mrs May, told MailOnline that attempting a coup now would be 'crazy'. Under Tory leadership rules, if Mrs May wins a no-confidence vote she cannot be challenged again for 12 months.
'They would be crazy to try it now. She will win a no confidence vote, and then there is a year's delay when she is immune to a challenge,' the minister said.
The source also warned that the wider public would not forgive the Tories for descending into civil war rather than sorting out Brexit.
'How would it look to the public if they somehow managed to force a contest, and we spend six weeks on that while the negotiations are at the most crucial stage?' they added.
Supporters of Mrs May believe any Tory rebellion in a Commons vote on a Chequers-style deal would be 'much smaller' than the 80 MPs the ERG claims.
The tactic would be to 'squeeze' rebels down to a hard core, and then seek to win over Labour moderates.
The government would need to convince a group of Opposition MPs to accept 'something that it not ideal to avoid the risk of a much worse no deal outcome'.
The meeting last night followed a difficult week for the ERG in which plans to publish a detailed blueprint for an alternative Brexit have been shelved.
Sources said there was also mockery of a charm offensive in which MPs invited for dinner in Downing Street for briefings on the Chequers plan for Brexit.
Another MP present opposition to Chequers had hardened over the summer recess after MPs spent time speaking to constituency members and voters.
'This is a fight to the death,' he said. 'I would be amazed if a leadership contest is not triggered straight after (Tory) conference unless she backs down.'
But some Conservatives who were there played down the plotting.
Tory MP Michael Fabricant said: 'I attended the ERG last night. Reports of (Theresa May's) demise are greatly exaggerated.
'Of the 40-50 there, only 5-6 people discussed letters to the Chairman of the 1922 and they wrote ages ago. The rest of us sat in uncomfortable silence.
'Though most are unhappy with Chequers.'
Speaking at the ERG launch today, Mr Rees-Mogg said: 'I have long said, and repeated again and again, that the policy needs to be changed but I am supporting the person.
'Theresa May has enormous virtues, she is a fantastically dutiful Prime Minister and she has my support.
'I just want her to change one item of policy.'
Mr Davis said: 'I have made very plain from when I resigned and thereafter that I think we have got a very good Prime Minister and, like Jacob, I disagree with her on one issue - this issue.
'She should stay in place because we need stability and we need decent government as the backdrop to what we are doing in the coming six months.'
At the ERG launch today (pictured), Mr Rees-Mogg was asked about the leadership issue and said 'the policy needs to be changed but I am supporting the person'
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said any MPs talking about challenging Theresa May were indulging in 'stupid personality nonsense'.
He told Anna Foster on BBC Radio 5 Live that talk of a coup was 'totally overblown' and he would 'stamp' on any that he found.
He confirmed he was not at a meeting of the ERG on Tuesday night, adding: 'You get 50 MPs of any political party together and you're always going to get some that are going to start arguing the toss about ridiculous issues.
'All I would say to them is: Stop it, it's just stupid. If you've got nothing better to do, go and find yourself some work, because that's the best cure for stupid personality nonsense.'
The meeting last night came just hours after Boris Johnson gave his first public show of support by attending an event hosted by its leaders.
Last week, the ERG told journalists it had drawn up a series of announcements to show it had a full alternative to Chequers.
But the plan was dropped after senior members spotted inaccuracies and warned some of the ideas would be seen as eccentric.
Leaked drafts suggested it contained a number of radical ideas, including a Star Wars-style missile defence shield, an expeditionary force to defend the Falklands and dropping all tariffs on food, which the farming establishment claims would destroy British agriculture.
One source said: 'We had to pull it. We had to make sure every dot and comma was sensible or we would be torn apart. 'Some of the ideas, such as the Falklands force, were nonsense. That's got nothing to do with Brexit and should never have been in there.'
Another said some in the group had included their own pet projects, such as massively boosting defence spending, that were unrelated to Brexit.
Several Conservative MPs have already submitted letters of no confidence in the Prime Minister (pictured at a conference in Birmingham yesterday)
Meanwhile Boris Johnson (pictured at the launch of a Brexiteer report in the Commons yesterday) said he 'could not possibly vote for Chequers'
The report, entitled A Better Deal For Britain, is now not expected to be published.
The group faced further confusion last night over its plans for resolving the problem of the Northern Ireland border, which are due to be published this morning.
Sources said that an early draft that proposed allowing 'flying squads' of tax inspectors to carry out checks away from the border had been dropped.
'It's not been our finest week,' one member of the ERG acknowledged last night.
'But I wouldn't write us off. Chequers is not going to get through – we will make sure of that.'
In other developments:
- Mr Johnson threw his weight behind a new report calling for the UK to leave the EU without a deal, and warned: 'I cannot possibly vote for Chequers';
- The Economists for Free Trade group said no-deal would let the UK make global trade deals and cut regulation, boosting the economy by £1trillion over 15 years;
- Chancellor Philip Hammond warned the UK would still have to pay much of the £39billion Brexit divorce bill in the event of no deal;
- Whitehall sources said the EU was preparing for an emergency summit in November to hammer out a Brexit deal with the UK amid fears time was running out.
The setback to the ERG's plans has delighted Downing Street, which sent out loyalists to point out that the party's Eurosceptic wing no longer claimed to have a fully worked-up alternative plan.
One senior Tory source said: 'They have been promising an alternative plan since Chequers and we were all ears, if a bit sceptical.
'Now it turns out they haven't got one after all.'
Chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured yesterday) warned the UK would still have to pay much of the £39billion Brexit divorce bill in the event of no deal
Linkhienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/12/fifty-eurosceptic-tory-mps-discuss-how-to-oust-theresa-may/
Main photo article Allies of Theresa May today warned Brexiteer plotters that any attempt to oust the PM would be ‘crazy’ and doomed to failure.
The defiant message came as it emerged that around 50 Tory Eurosceptics openly ‘wargamed’ how to carry out a coup if Mrs May refuses to drop her...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/09/12/12/5012AA7C00000578-6158131-image-a-71_1536751546758.jpg
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