waiting in the wings
Boris Johnson, David Davis and Esther McVey named as favourites to become PM if Theresa May is forced out
BORIS Johnson, David Davis and Dominic Raab were today named as leading candidates to take over from Theresa May if she is ousted over her Brexit deal.
Jacob Rees-Mogg tipped the three resigned ex-ministers as well as fellow Brexiteers Esther McVey and Penny Mordaunt.
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He insisted the next Tory leader would have to be a Brexit supporter - because Remainers can't be trusted to negotiate with Brussels on behalf of the country.
Mr Rees-Mogg denied that he was interested in the job as he called for a confidence vote in Mrs May.
He named BoJo, DD, Ms McVey, Mr Raab and Ms Mordaunt as MPs who could enter No10 if the PM is forced to resign.
And he added: "You have streams of talent within the Conservative Party who would be very capable of leading a proper Brexit.
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"The difficulty with having a Remainer is that people feel the compromises are made in a Remain direction rather than a Leave direction."
The odds on Mrs May being ousted from No10 by the end of the day have been slashed to 5/1 following her soft Brexit deal.
The Prime Minister came under fire last night after MPs described it as the "worst of all worlds", saying the deal broke promises she made the country ahead of last year’s election.
Ladbrokes are offering odds of 5/1 that she leaves office on Thursday and Boris Johnson is tipped to replace her at 5/1.
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Other bookies have also slashed their odds on her leaving office before the end of 2018 – going from 6/1 to just 1/1 in a few hours.
It means they believe there is a 50 per cent chance the PM will be forced to resign following her EU deal.
Her job is already hanging by a thread after Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab today resigned claiming Britain is being "blackmailed" by the EU.
Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey also resigned on Thursday morning and is 66/1 to be the new Conservative leader with Coral.
Mr Raab is 5/1 to be the party's new leader, in front of Sajid Javid at 6/1 and Jacob Rees-Mogg and Jeremy Hunt, who are both priced at 10/1.
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PM Theresa May gives statement on Brexit agreement in Commons
Meanwhile, just hours after Mrs May faced a vote of no confidence over her deal, the pound crashed against the dollar and euro.
Mr Raab's resignation sent the pound crashing more than one per cent to $1.28 from $1.30 at 6am this morning.
Sterling also dropped by more than one per cent against the euro from 1.14 euro in the early hours to 1.3 euro, putting it at a one-week low.
Mr Raab told The Sun: "I don’t want to submit to the blackmail of my country."
And in his resignation letter, he warned: "I cannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EU."
Dominic Raab quizzed on future of Theresa May and if he wants to be PM in first interview since quitting as Brexit Secretary
ODDS ON THE NEXT TORY LEADER
Dominic Raab 5/1
Boris Johnson 5/1
Sajid Javid 6/1
Jacob Rees-Mogg 10/1
Jeremy Hunt 10/1
David Davis 12/1
Michael Gove 16/1
Penny Mordaunt 16/1
He is the second Brexit Secretary to quit in just four months - after David Davis walked out in protest at the PM's Chequers plan.
But he insisted he has "enduring respect" for Mrs May and praised the PM for fighting through "difficult times".
His resignation ramps up the pressure on other pro-Brexit ministers to walk out - in a move which could bring the Prime Minister down altogether.
Alex Apati, of Ladbrokes, told The Sun Online: “The pressure really is on Theresa May right now and her odds of leaving Downing Street before the year is out are shortening by the minute."
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George Elek, from Oddschecker, said: “Parliament is in chaos and Dominic Raab's resignation has left Theresa May in a perilous position.
“Although the idea of her being ousted this year was almost unthinkable just 48 hours ago, but it's fast becoming the likely outcome.
“The shift in odds equates to a leap from a 14 per cent to a 50 per cent chance of May leaving in 2018, making the outcome twice as likely according to bookies.”
Boris Johnson says he will vote against the proposed deal as UK and EU officials have agreed the draft text of a Brexit agreement
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