MAY STAY?
THERESA MAY is prepared to stay on in No.10 for the rest of the year to see through Brexit - allies declared last night.
Senior sources said the PM had only ever agreed to step down in “phase two” of the Brexit process – once her withdrawal deal was approved by Parliament and talks moved on to a future trade deal.
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One said: “She understands that the Conservative Party feels a sense that new leadership is required for the second phase of negotiations.
“That was the commitment she gave to her parliamentary colleagues and that's one she stands by."
The comments came as powerful backbench Tory bosses last night finalised plans to lay out a timetable for Theresa May to quit as PM by July if she signed Britain up to a lengthy Brexit delay.
At an hour-long meeting in Parliament the 18-strong executive of the Tory 1922 committee decided they would persuade her to quit as Tory leader by May 23 and formally launch a leadership contest.
They even discussed plans to change party rules to oust Mrs May if she refuses to sign up to their recommended timetable given the fury in the Tory party.
In a separate intervention yesterday the former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith called for the PM to hand over to her successor at the Tory conference this autumn.
The 1922 handover plans - which they aim to present to No10 if Brexit is extended by a year - would see a new leader taking over as Prime Minister in June or July allowing them the summer holidays to assemble their new Cabinet.
'NO RUSH'
But Cabinet Remainer David Gauke said Mrs May could still be leader next year. He insisted she would only quit “if it helps the country”.
He said: "I don't think we should be rushing to change our leader when there is a big task to be done.
"If we are going through that process of trying to get parliament to support a deal to find a way of breaking this deadlock then Theresa May continues to be right person to lead us through that process.”
It comes after The Sun revealed yesterday that Cabinet ministers believe she will be ousted when the Tories suffer a council elections bloodbath in the May 2 poll.
Meanwhile The Sun can reveal that ex-Cabinet minister Esther McVey is preparing a campaign team to launch a leadership bid.
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Sources close to the senior Brexiteer MP said she is assembling a group of backbench MPs to run a leadership bid based on “blue collar” policies.
Newer MPs from the 2017 intake are swinging behind Ms McVey because they believe her pledge to drive a small ‘c’ Conservatism agenda is the best way of winning a majority at the next General Election.
One MP on her campaign team said: “That’s something we’re missing and even if she doesn’t make it all the way it’s about getting these principles back on the agenda.”
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MPs vote in favour of asking Theresa May to request a Brexit delay until the 30th of June
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