Theresa May ‘rumbles Boris Johnson plot to replace her as Prime Minister by derailing Brexit plans’
THERESA May has 'declared war' on Boris Johnson after rumbling a plot to oust her as Prime Minister, it has been claimed.
It's reported Mrs May's allies uncovered a plan to install the former Foreign Secretary as her successor.
According to The Mail on Sunday, senior Tory figures claimed that Sir Lynton Crosby is behind plans to mount a nationwide campaign against Mrs May’s Chequers agreement on Brexit as "the precursor to a Boris leadership challenge".
The paper claims Sir Lynton is said to be motivated by "revenge" after Downing Street .
Mr Johnson denies plotting with Sir Lynton to derail Mrs May’s Brexit negotiations and seize Downing Street, according to the paper.
It's reported a senior Tory source told The Mail on Sunday: "Boris hasn’t thought this through. His plan could result in us delaying leaving the EU, or even not leaving at all. If that happens, the party membership would never forgive him."
The claims come after Mrs May declared she would not be compromising over the Chequers deal that are not in the national interest, or "give in" to demands for a second referendum.
Writing in the Telegraph, she said it would be a "gross betrayal" of voters' trust.
She said: "They trusted that their vote would count; that after years of feeling ignored by politics, their voices would be heard.
To ask the question all over again would be a gross betrayal of our democracy – and a betrayal of that trust."
Boris Johnson resigned as Foreign Secretary in July over the Prime Minister's Chequers plan.
After he quit the MP for Uxbridge gave a speech to the House of Commons in which he did not directly challenge the Prime Minister.
But in pointed comments he said Mrs May’s Chequers compromise would leave the UK in a “miserable, permanent limbo” – warning it was “not too late to change course”.
MOST READ IN UK NEWS
The former foreign secretary got almost a third of support to become the next Prime Minster in a poll in August – after being at just eight per cent before he stood down.
The survey by ConservativeHome saw him push Sajid Javid down into second favourite, with Jacob Rees-Mogg in third place.
Mr Johnson, on 29 per cent, has a 10 point lead over the Home Secretary, fuelling speculation he will run for the party leadership now he has exited the Cabinet.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.