Tory rebels accuse older MPs of stopping bid to oust Theresa May because they want peerages

FURIOUS Brexit Tory rebels last night accused older colleagues of slamming the brakes on a bid to oust Theresa May because they want peerages.

As a bitter new row erupted among Eurosceptics, just one new name came forward to reveal they had submitted a letter of no confidence in Theresa May last night. Hardline Eurosceptic Philip Hollobone revealed he’d sent in a letter four months ago.

It left their attempted coup fizzling out in a humiliation for Jacob Rees-Mogg and his fellow plotters.

And it tore the Eurosceptic faction of backbench Tory MPs apart as they turned on each other over the failed plot to topple the PM.

Veteran Eurosceptics such as Iain Duncan Smith, Sir Bernard Jenkin and Owen Paterson were accused of buckling from handing in their own letters in the hope of getting rewarded by No10 with a plum seat in the House of Lords.

One irate young Brexiteer MP who has submitted a letter of no confidence told The Sun: “It’s the old guard who have let us down.

“Bernard, Owen, Paterson, and IDS but have now gone quiet. You have to wonder if it’s about peerages.”
Sir Bernard hit back: “This is a difficult time for Conservative MPs. Each must decide their own minds on such issues. I will vote against the government’s terrible Brexit deal come what may.”

Other rebels accused colleagues of “caring far more about there not being an early election” than they do about the PM’s “Brexit betrayal”.

But other Tories turned on Mr Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson – who has yet to submit a letter – of toxifying the party’s brand.

Tory MP Nick Boles blasted: “Do my colleagues not understand how normal people react when they see a group of middle aged men, led by two plummy-toned Old Etonians, trying to bully a conscientious and determined woman out of her job?”

Tory backbencher Simon Hart said the way rebels had gone about trying to oust Mrs May had made the Tory party “look like hyenas”.

The fresh rows broke out after government whips and Eurosceptics went to battle to twist arms as MPs returned to Westminster after a weekend speaking to their constituency parties and members.

Ex-Brexit Secretary David Davis confirmed The Sun’s revelation that the rebels were just a handful short of reaching the 48 threshold needed for a vote – and compared the PM’s Brexit negotiating stance to a “nervous cat”.

But despite Mr Hollobone’s letter they were still at least five short of triggering a no confidence vote.

Other MPs who sent in their letters to 1922 committee chairman Sir Graham Brady last week pleaded with colleagues to take them over the line.

Simon Clarke compared Mrs May to a “captain driving the ship at the rocks”, adding: “Colleagues who have said they will act, I think now need to search their consciences and follow up on what they pledged to do.

Attacking Mrs May’s Brexit plans, Mr Clarke said: “The point I would want to make to colleagues who are still agonising about this is if we continue with this plan we are simply not going to have a government.

“Because the clear threat that it poses to the integrity of the union is something which our colleagues the DUP will simply not put up with.”

But other Tories urged their party to avoid a damaging leadership contest.

Former Tory leader Lord Howard said a vote of confidence would be a distraction, telling the Today programme: “I don’t think that Members of Parliament should be distracted in the next few weeks by a confidence motion, or a leadership contest which might follow that.

“They should be concentrating on the document and its implications.”

One Brexit MP turned on Steve Baker, the ringleader of the coup.

They told TalkRadio: “The letter writing clusterf*ck is all to do with ex-cabinet ministers holding Baker in contempt. He is a self-promoter, sanctimonious and we wish he’d do less talking.”

Mr Duncan Smith said: How silly does this get. My suggestion is that they take the pills and lie down in a darkened room.”

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