Tory MPs backing Theresa May have launched a counter-attack to save her from getting the sack

THERESA MAY ‘loyalists’ launched a fierce bid to save her from the sack yesterday as rebel Tory MPs called for her head.

Livid Ministers tore into senior Tories on the powerful 1922 backbench committee over their demand to rip up party rules to force a new no confidence vote in the PM this June.

The demand was due to be voted on at a crisis meeting of the 18-strong Committee late last night.

Brexit-backing 1922 executive Nigel Evans said he would be “delighted” if the PM quit NOW given the Brexit chaos – and said there was a growing “clamour” for her resignation.

But fellow ’22 exec Antoinette Sandbach broke cover to demand HE be sacked – for talking out of turn.
And Ministers accused the plotters of destroying any hope the Tories had of a cutting their losses in next week’s local elections.

The country is split right down the middle

Rory Stewart

One told The Sun: “It’s almost as if the executive of the 1922 have a death wish. They appear to be actively campaigning for a bad local election result.”

Prison Minister Rory Stewart separately blasted the plot and said changing the PM now would do nothing to heal the huge divide in the party. He stormed: “The problem isn’t the Prime Minister, the problem is Brexit

“The country is split right down the middle.”

Sir Graham Brady - the 1922 chairman – went to see Theresa May before last night’s meeting to discuss the level of anger on the backbenches at the PM over Brexit.

'SAFETY NET'

But sources claimed he expected last night’s call for a rule change to be “inconclusive” given the need for a unanimous decision.

One insider added Sir Graham wanted any rule change decided by the 1922 put to all Tory MPs in a vote – further delaying any putsch.

“Brady doesn’t want his hands on anything so big,” they said.

The Sun yesterday revealed the proposal to rewrite party rules to allow a new no confidence challenge in mid-June – just six months after the PM survived the last one in December 12.

It would rip up longstanding Tory party rules that any leader has a one year “safety net” after surviving a no confidence vote.

A similar call for a rule change last month was only backed by three of the 1922 Committee’s 18 members – Nigel Evans, Pauline Latham and Sheryll Murray.

Yesterday, senior party figures said there was still some uncertainty whether the Committee could even force a rule change without Tory party chiefs agreeing to it.

Tory party chairman Brandon Lewis last night he said understood “the huge frustration” Tory activists and members were feeling over Brexit.

But he insisted the PM shouldn’t have to set a departure date - and the aim remained “finding a way” of getting the PM’s deal through Parliament.

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