Theresa May begged Andrea Leadsom not to quit from her No10 bunker as she faced final downfall
BLEARY-eyed Theresa May begged Andrea Leadsom not to resign in a last-minute phonecall last night.
The pair had a frantic ten minute discussion before the Commons leader announced she was going to quit Government over the PM's new Brexit deal, The Times reported.
Mrs Leadsom told her she just couldn't stand up in front of MPs and introduce the new proposals to the Commons today as she fundamentally opposed it.
The Sun revealed that she rang the PM 30 minutes before she made it public, but No10 aides appeared to be unaware of the move and weren't given warning.
Her letter was posted to Twitter at around 7.30 last night, where she said she couldn't tolerate the promise to give a binding vote on another referendum and the ability to stay in a customs union with the EU.
Mrs Leadsom didn't appear for PMQs to back the PM yesterday lunchtime, after a meeting of other Tory MPs discussed their next moves.
The pair clashed during the 2016 leadership contest where they were set to face each other in front of the Tory membership.
I no longer believe that our approach will deliver on the referendum result
Andrea Leadsom
But she pulled out after giving an interview indicating she was better placed to be PM as she had children - leaving the path for Mrs May to become PM.
A government whip will unveil the legislation instead later, with plans for the new Brexit bill to be fully published tomorrow.
A vote was expected on June 7, but as the PM's authority crumbles around her and prepares to quit - it could be pulled completely.
Last night Mrs May was on the verge of being forced to resign as even loyal Tories pulled their support.
Several Cabinet ministers prepared to tell her to leave, but she refused to see anyone last night.
It's expected she will resign officially in the next few days, after the EU elections today.
ANDREA'S THREE-YEAR WAIT FOR REVENGE
COMMONS Leader Andrea Leadsom was Theresa May’s rival for the Tory leadership — and her stinging resignation letter was her revenge served three years later.
Mrs Leadsom quit last night with a devastating attack on the Prime Minister’s latest Brexit climbdown and her handling of Cabinet tensions.
But it was just the boiling over of the simmering antagonism between the pair.
Mrs Leadsom, a former banker and married mum of three, had been a prominent Leave supporter in the referendum campaign. She stood against Remain-backing Mrs May after David Cameron resigned as PM in 2016.
The women made it to the final two but then Mrs Leadsom gave a disastrous interview in which she appeared to suggest she was a better choice for PM because she had children.
She claimed this meant she had a “stake in the future” by contrast with Mrs May who cannot have children for health reasons.
Mrs Leadsom, 56, told a newspaper back then that Mrs May only had “nieces, nephews”, adding: “But I have children who are going to have children who will directly be part of what happens next.”
She withdrew from the contest soon after the controversy and so cleared the path for Mrs May to enter Downing Street.
The new Prime Minister appointed Mrs Leadsom as her Environment Secretary only to demote her to Commons Leader in a reshuffle after the disastrous 2017 General Election.
Then last summer it emerged Mrs Leadsom had attacked Mrs May’s doomed Chequers plan — telling colleagues how she “hated” it for breaching Government red lines on Brexit.
Afterwards Mrs Leadsom did not quit the Cabinet but is believed to have been unpopular in No 10 for her hardline stance. Last month she made more waves by claiming that No Deal would not be “nearly as grim as many would advocate”.
Mrs Leadsom has also repeatedly clashed with Commons Speaker John Bercow. Last year she confronted him over claims he called her a “stupid woman”.
But, as Commons Leader, Mrs Leadsom has also been central in tackling the “Pestminster” culture of sexual harassment and bullying.
In 2017, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon was forced to quit after she accused him of making lewd comments to her.
- By Martin Beckford, Whitehall Editor
MOST READ IN POLITICS
Meanwhile, bookies say that floods of bets have been placed on the PM stepping down this month - with many in the last hour.
This morning the odds went from 3/1 to 1/5.
As Mrs May enters the endgame of her time in office:
- The Tories face a battering at today's European elections
- Leadership rivals jostled for position with Boris Johnson favourite to take over
- Andrea Leadsom hit out at Remainers who have undermined Brexit
- Other ministers threatened to quit if Mrs May clings on
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