Fifteen government jobs are now vacant as the number of MPs Theresa May can call on shrinks amid a major Tory split over Brexit.
Calculations by HuffPost UK suggest there are just 92 Conservative MPs who would be able to fill the positions.
They come from an ever-dwindling group of backbenchers without government jobs, who back the prime minister’s Brexit deal, and have not already resigned from the government.
The figure represents less than a third (29%) of May’s party, with 314 MPs on the Tory benches.
According to the Institute for Government – which revealed the fifteen government openings, plus vacancies for a party vice chair and trade envoy to Pakistan – there are currently four openings for junior ministers.
Three of these came about on Monday night after Richard Harrington, Alistair Burt and Steve Brine resigned to back a move by MPs to seize power from the government over the Brexit process.
Meanwhile, the government has been without a minister for disabled people for two weeks after Falmouth and Truro MP Sarah Newton quit on March 13 to defy May and vote to block a no-deal Brexit.
The delay in filling her position has sparked anger among disability charities.
Adam Smiley, parliamentary affairs manager at Scope, urged May to make an appointment “as soon as possible”.
“This delay sends the wrong signal to the UK’s 13.9 million disabled people,” he said, adding that there is a “bulging inbox” awaiting the next minister.
“The assessment for PIP and fitness-for-work test both need drastic overhauling, and the disability employment gap has remained stubbornly stuck at around 30 percentage points for a decade,” Smiley continued.
Meanwhile, shadow minister for disabled people Marsha de Cordova slammed the prime minister’s failure to fill the role as “outrageous”.
Data suggests that there are also 11 vacancies for parliamentary private secretaries – MPs who act as assistants for government ministers – some of which were last staffed in November 2018.
When asked the date replacements would be announced for the unfilled positions, the PM's official spokesman said: "We will let you know in due course."
"The responsibilities of the disabilities minister have been carried out by the secretary of state and other members of the ministerial team," he added.
During May’s 987-day tenure as prime minister, 29 ministers have resigned from her government outside of reshuffles, the IfG said – the same number that quit during Tony Blair’s ten year stint as PM.
The figures come as MPs today take part in a series of indicative votes on their preferred Brexit options in a bid to break the deadlock in parliament.
MPs will attempt to whittle down potential plans for Brexit in a bid to find the option the largest proportion of the Commons could stomach.