Theresa May comes out fighting as rebellion against draft Brexit deal stalls

Theresa May appears to have secured her immediate survival in 10 Downing Street as a rebellion against her leadership stalls.

It comes after a tumultuous week that saw the departure of ministers including Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey, while the number of dissenters publicly handing in letters of no confidence in the prime minister reached 21.

Forty-eight are needed to trigger a vote of no confidence, which would threaten Mrs May's leadership.

However, Michael Gove, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox offered the prime minister a lifeline by choosing to stay in the cabinet.

Mrs May also bolstered her team by appointing ultra-loyalist Stephen Barclay as new Brexit secretary and bringing back longtime ally Amber Rudd to head up the department for work and pensions.

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Mrs May has launched a fightback against the fierce criticism of her draft Brexit agreement and to save her political career.

In an interview with the Daily Mail on Saturday, Mrs May bluntly told her Tory opponents that their alternate Brexit plans would not work.

She said: "People say 'If you could only just do something slightly different, have a Norway model or a Canada model, this backstop issue would go away'. It would not. That issue is still going to be there.

"Some politicians get so embroiled in the intricacies of their argument they forget it is not about this theory or that theory, or does it make me look good."

She also praised the support of her husband Philip, who poured her a large whisky after Wednesday's five-hour cabinet onslaught.

"On Thursday, he served up beans on toast for tea," she said in the interview. "I opened the tin! He made the toast - and did the washing up!"

With the angry backlash against Mrs May over her Brexit plan, her husband could not help but feel the hurt of the situation too, she admitted.

"It's often harder for the other half because they are watching it and feel protective and think 'Why are they saying that to my wife?'," she said.

And in her continuing public relations offensive, she talked about how Mr May backs her position on Brexit and has urged her to "keep going" and "do the right thing".

The threat of an immediate challenge to Mrs May's leadership of the party appears to have diminished, with Conservative backbench Brexiteers rowing back on expectations a confidence vote in Mrs May would soon be triggered.

Ms Rudd urged Tory colleagues sending in letters of no confidence to "think again".

She said: "This is not a time for changing our leader. This is a time for pulling together, for making sure we remember who we are here to serve, who we are here to help: that's the whole of the country.

"I worry sometimes colleagues are too concerned about the Westminster bubble rather than keeping their eye on what our job is - to serve people."

Despite more Tory MPs publicly declaring on Friday they had submitted letters of no confidence in the PM's leadership, there were mixed claims over whether there are the 48 letters needed to prompt a vote.

Former Brexit minister Steve Baker, who has submitted a letter himself, claimed - by his count - there was "a little over 48" letters.

However, he later said it was "much more likely" the threshold would be reached next week, with 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady - who would organise any confidence vote - the only person who knows for sure.

Sky's deputy political editor Beth Rigby said: "There is a little bit of chatter around that people think Sir Graham Brady might have the number - but he can choose to announce this confidence vote at a convenient time, and he might do it on Monday - that's what some of the assumptions are."

She added: "It's very telling that all the whips were called back to Westminster, no doubt to hit the phones.

"What we're really seeing is this Tory civil war that's been running for a couple of years has really erupted now and you are seeing proper division between No 10 and some of May's supporters, and the Brexiteers who have decided they can't just change the policy, they really do want to change the leader."

Labour MP Angela Eagle quipped that Conservative Brexiteers were suffering from "premature evacuation" in their efforts to topple Mrs May.

Cabinet Office minister David Lidington, the prime minister's de facto deputy, also told Tory rebels to withdraw their letters as he warned Mrs May would win any confidence vote "handsomely".

After the resignations of Mr Raab and Ms McVey on Thursday, there were suggestions further ministers could quit Mrs May's government.

However, further resignations from the prime minister's top team were stemmed by Mr Gove declaring his support for Mrs May, despite turning down an offer to take up the vacant position of Brexit secretary, after the prime minister reportedly turned down his request to renegotiate her draft Brexit deal.

Speaking outside his departmental office in Westminster, Mr Gove said he was "looking forward to continuing to work with all my government colleagues and all my colleagues in parliament in order to make sure we get the best future for Britain".

It later emerged the remaining pro-Brexit cabinet ministers - including Mr Gove - had agreed to stay in cabinet with the aim of altering Mrs May's Brexit plans from inside government.

The group also includes Leader of the House of Commons Ms Leadsom, International Trade Secretary LiamDr Fox, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, and International Development Secretary Ms Mordaunt.

Dr Fox also pledged his support to Mrs May on Friday, while he warned Tory Brexiteers that "a deal is better than no deal" in a marked departure from the prime minister's usual refrain that "no deal is better than a bad deal".

He told Sky News: "This is a time where we have to take a deep breath and we have to think what is in the national interest.

"It's a painful process. As the prime minister has said, she shares many of the reservations that have been put out there.

"But, ultimately, the question is can we get a deal that sticks? Can we get a deal that's in the national interest? Can we deliver Brexit?"

Despite the DUP joining the backlash against her blueprint for a divorce deal, Mrs May insisted the Northern Ireland party, which props up her minority government, is still working with her Tory party.

The prime minister also played down suggestions she could allow her MPs and ministers a free vote on the Brexit deal in the House of Commons, stressing "government policy is government policy".

Ms Mordaunt is reported to have pushed Mrs May to allow the cabinet to discard collective responsibility when a Brexit agreement comes before parliament.

As well as the appointments of Mr Barclay and Ms Rudd, who had resigned as home secretary earlier this year amid the Windrush scandal, Mrs May also handed out three junior ministerial roles.

Remain-supporting Stephen Hammond, who was sacked as a Conservative vice-chair last year for rebelling on key Brexit legislation, was appointed a health minister to replace Mr Barclay.

Meanwhile, John Penrose became a minister at the Northern Ireland Office to replace Shailesh Vara, who quit on Thursday in protest at Mrs May's draft Brexit deal.

And Kwasi Kwarteng, a committed Leave supporter, was announced as a Brexit minister to replace Suella Braverman, who also resigned over the prime minister's Brexit plan.