Theresa May blasts Boris Johnson after Tory MPs urge him to oust her
The PM tore in to ex-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson after warnings he is trying to succeed her
THERESA May tore into Boris Johnson over Brexit yesterday after being warned he may try to oust her this month, No10 sources have revealed.
Downing Street aides are on full alert to repel an imminent leadership challenge on the PM by hard Brexiteers.
The PM ordered aides to savage her former Foreign Secretary for branding her Chequers plan for a deal “a disaster” and “a fix” in his newspaper column yesterday.
In No10’s most direct attack on the Tory big beast so far, the PM’s official spokesman accused Boris of “no new ideas” and strongly suggested that he wasn’t a serious politician.
The spokesman declared: “What we need at this time is serious leadership with a serious plan and that’s exactly what the country has with this Prime Minister and this Brexit plan”.
The furious exchange of blows between the two top Tories lead to a fresh bout of Tory civil war yesterday as a series of other grandees publicly piled in.The Sun has learned that Mrs May has been told that a faction of hard Brexiteer Tory MPs are urging Boris to try to oust her now.
They believe this month is their last chance to sink her Chequers plan as the template for talks between EU leaders in October, which will won’t deliver a clean Brexit.
A Tory minister said: “No10 think Boris is being pushed to come for Theresa now.
“They also don’t think he will succeed, as he’s a divisive character and doesn’t have anywhere near the number of MPs he needs yet.
“But they are worried that may change quickly if things continue to look bad for Chequers.”
One rebel Tory MP last night openly called for Mrs May to make way for a more committed Leaver.
Andrew Bridgen told Channel 4 News : “I have always been of the view that you’ve got to believe in Brexit to deliver Brexit”.
Senior Tories openly sparred with each other yesterday over the chances of the Chequers plan succeeding.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid challenged Boris to put up a better plan than the PM’s or shut up, saying: “For those who think there’s a different way, they need to properly set out their alternative plan”.
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Another Mrs May loyalist, his predecessor Amber Rudd accused Boris of “once again leap before you look”, as well as repeating her referendum campaign jibe against him about not wanting the mop haired Tory to drive her home at night.
But a passionate former Remainer senior Tory spoke out to also slam Chequers.
Ex-Education Secretary Justine Greening said the plan is “more unpopular than the poll tax” and has ”no prospect” of ever getting through Parliament.
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