Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope claims Conservative Brexiteers would “seriously consider” backing a fresh bid by Jeremy Corbyn to get rid of Theresa May as PM.
The backbencher said “betrayed” eurosceptics “would look carefully” at getting behind a motion of no-confidence in May tabled by her arch-rival.
Speaking during a Commons debate on extending the Brexit deadline, Chope said it was time to “change the general” after May’s withdrawal deal was crushed in parliament for a second time on Tuesday.
Pressed by Labour MP Graham Stringer on what he would do to achieve that goal, Chope said he and other Tory eurosceptics “would look carefully” at a bid to end the PM’s premiership.
“The reason I think we need to replace our team is because the current team has gone back on so many of its promises to parliament and to the people,” said Chope.
“The only way we can regain our self-respect is to have a fresh team of negotiators and I include among that team, obviously the head of that team and none other than the prime minister.”
The hardline Brexiteer said May had refused to accept her deal was dead, before Stringer intervened and said: “I agree with his analysis, the prime minister’s negotiating position and skills have been pathetic.
“If the opposition lay down a motion, will he vote for it, because that is the logic of his position?”
Chope then effectively appealed to Corbyn to make his move, saying others who feel May has “betrayed” them by bending to a potential Article 50 extension may support him.
If passed, such a motion would mean all of parliament had no-confidence in the prime minister – an eventuality which would almost certainly trigger May’s resignation.
The PM emerged victorious from an internal Tory party motion of no-confidence in December, which, under party rules, means they cannot challenge her for 12 months from her win.
The following month, Labour tabled its own no confidence motion in May’s government, losing by 325 votes to 306.
Replying to Stringer’s appeal, Chope said: “Frankly, I will seriously consider that issue, because it seems to me I expressed no confidence in the prime when we had a vote within our own parliamentary party, and my considered opinion now is were a similar vote to be held there would be an overwhelming vote against the prime minister and an expression of no confidence in the prime minister.
“One then thinks about the logical extension of that [..] obviously it would need the leader of the opposition essentially to initiate such a move and then obviously people on this side who feel that they are being betrayed would look carefully at the implications flowing from that.”