Theresa May backed by MPs to see Brexit through and beams after chants of ‘two years more’ and thunderous applause to end stormy meeting prove PM is back from the dead
Resurrection comes days after she escaped a lynching following the party’s General Election disaster
TORY MPs are coming round to allowing Theresa May two more years as PM so she can see Brexit talks through,The Sun can reveal.
Her resurrection comes as she narrowly escaped a lynching on Friday following the party’s general election disaster.
Yesterday Mrs May faced the fury of all her MPs and lords on their return to Westminster.
They crowded into the Commons’ biggest meeting room — Committee Room 14.
But in stark contrast to the small amount of desk banging that met her arrival, the PM walked out of the gathering to cheers, and 30 seconds of applause.
Earlier she endured another grilling from her Cabinet.
The Sun can also reveal the PM's top table told her she must offer Brits “more hope”.
Tory politicians of all ranks demanded changes in her “Maybot” robotic style, as well as her cold messages of gloom to the country.
The Tory Cabinet met for two hours in No10 to dissect the election failure.
One minister there told The Sun: “People were polite and collegiate, but also firm in their views.
“Several colleagues made the point the PM needed to offer more hope to voters, and a far more positive message than we did during the campaign.”
The demand for a more upbeat offer to the country was lead by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.
An hour later, Mrs May faced all her MPs and lords, who crowded into the Commons’ biggest meeting room — No 14.
Throwing herself on their mercy, she apologised for throwing away the party’s majority with the failed snap election gamble — “several times”, according to one MP.
The PM also made it clear to the packed room that she would resign when they wanted her to.
She told them: “I’ve been serving this party since I was 12 years old, when I started by stuffing envelopes. I will serve you for as long as you want me.”
During the 1hr 15min-long grilling, she also vowed to “listen and learn” and showed her “emotional and human side” that was lacking from the campaign trail.
The PM also promised her troops that there would be a “different style of governance” when challenged from the floor on how she ran the party.
MOST READ IN ELECTION 2017
Mrs May said there would be “more consultation on everything now, from the backbenches to the Cabinet.”
The PM also acknowledged that “dropping social care into the mix in the middle of the campaign was a mistake”.
One MP claimed: “The PM recognised that the manifesto bombed and she didn’t speak in a hopeful enough voice”.
Pushed on reasons why Labour had surged in the polls, the PM said she recognised there was a new “polarisation” in politics.
One MP challenged the PM claiming her campaign “did not recognise a lot of people are still hurting.”
“And she agreed, saying we have to look at this,” an insider said.
There were also demands on Mrs May from several MPs in the meeting to loosen the purse strings and spend more on public services.
MPs and peers flooded from the meeting, claiming that an emotional PM had said sorry for the campaign disaster.
In a dig at how the campaign had focussed on Mrs May rather than the Conservative Party, one ex-minister told The Sun: “Unlike during the campaign there was a lot of ‘we’ and not very much ‘I’.”
The figure added: “She was sounding less like a Maybot”.
“She absolutely nailed the sorry,” one minister said, adding: “She came straight in with an emotional message that she understands people’s careers have been finished”.
Boris Johnson dubbed it “a stonking performance”, and new Environment Secretary Michael Gove gave a thumbs up to journalists waiting outside the Commons committee room.
Former Cabinet minister Owen Paterson said: “There are a lot of lessons to be learned, but she took it all on board. She did well. There is a clear route ahead.”
A growing number of Tory MPs told The Sun yesterday that a consensus was growing that it would be wrong to “change horses” until the 18-month negotiations had concluded so the EU countries can take her seriously.
Referring to the German and French leaders, a backbench Tory MP said: “Merkel and Macron need to know who they are dealing with will still be there at the end of it.
“Then she (Mrs May) should go, and allow a new leader to bed in for the next general election.” The PM’s own new chief of staff Gavin Barwell told the BBC that voters had abandoned the Tories in protest at austerity continuing.
Mrs May halted her government reshuffle for the 1922 committee meeting yesterday — not firing any ministers ahead of it for fear of sparking a confrontation with them in front of everyone.
Earlier in the day, Mrs May signalled she wanted to stay in Downing Street for five more years.
The PM said during the election campaign that she wanted to serve a full term. Asked whether that was still right, the PM’s official spokesman said: “I’m not aware of any change from the position she set out during the election campaign”.
MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “I think we should absolutely crack on, get Brexit done, come out the other side."
Cabinet heavyweights continued to rally round the PM last night, with Brexit Secretary David Davis branding plots against her as “the height of self-indulgence”.
Another Tory MP added: “She is on probation now, but the most important thing is to keep Corbyn out at all costs”.
A beating for Whips
TOP Tories want a clearout of the Whips Office as part of their continued support for Theresa May.
Members of the 1922 Committee are to raise concerns on the “shouty” antics of Chief Whip Gavin Williamson’s team.
Last night Mrs May vowed to “shake up her operation and change how No10 operated”.
New chief of staff Gavin Barwell — hailed as a “nice guy” — got the meeting’s biggest cheer.