DS
Philip Davies has submitted a letter of no confidence in Mrs May after "losing trust" in her ability to deliver Brexit.
The Shipley MP said: "I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that I have no alternative but to send a letter to the Chairman of the 1922 Committee asking him for a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister.
"If 48 such letters are sent a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister amongst Conservative MPs will take place."
Conservative Party's leadership contenders
Theresa May's Tory government is currently looking anything but "strong and stable". An unconvincing election victory and lingering Brexit anxieties have been exacerbated by Michael Fallon's recent Cabinet resignation; while Priti Patel and Boris Johnson have also made serious mistakes. Here's some of the bookies' favourites to replace her as leader of the Conservative Party.
Getty Images
Gaff-prone Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is favourite to succeed Theresa May at 4/1
“”
He added: "This is a secret process and people do not need to declare that they have sent such a letter, but I believe you (and my constituents) have the right to know what I do as your local MP and that is why I am writing to let you know.
"Some of you will agree with my decision and some of you will disagree – I am well aware of that. But you all have a right to know.
"I always have to look you all in the eye and tell you that I have done what I believe is right for the country and our Party.
"This has not been an easy decision and I have agonised over it, but I know in my heart of hearts it is the right decision."
HOC
It is the latest blow for Mrs May who was yesterday roundly criticised in the House of Commons by departing foreign secretary Boris Johnson.
Mr Johnson resigned last week, along with Brexit secretary David Davies, in protest of the PM's plans for Brexit laid out in the so-called Chequers agreement.
Brexit CHAOS: The Cabinet members ousted since the snap election
Prime Minister Theresa May has faced a series of Cabinet members leaving their positions since last June's snap election
REUTERS
Boris Johnson is the latest minister to quit since snap election
He wrote: "Politics is all about trust and once it is lost it is impossible to win back. Many people have told me that as a result of this they have lost trust in the PM to properly and fully deliver the referendum result.
"It is with much sadness that I have to say that I have also lost trust in her to deliver the referendum result too.
"Failure to keep our promise to the electorate will almost certainly lead to the catastrophe of Jeremy Corbyn becoming Prime Minister and I cannot sit back and allow that to happen.
GETTY
New Brexit secretary Dominic Raab is today holding talks in Brussels with the EU's chief negotiator as the Government attempts to try and steady its withdrawal strategy after two weeks of turmoil rocked the Tory party.
Mr Raab's encounter with Michel Barnier on Thursday will be his first in the role of Mr Davis quit the post.
The meeting comes as Tory former Cabinet minister Lord Chris Patten predicted there could be an emergency Brexit general election in the autumn.
The talks follow an extraordinary fortnight for the Government in which the Cabinet agreed a compromise deal on Brexit only for Mr Davis and Boris Johnson to quit Mrs May's top team as a result.
Mr Johnson used his resignation statement in the Commons to call for the PM to abandon her "miserable" version of Brexit, Mrs May's former joint chief of staff Nick Timothy said the current situation was "deeply depressing".
Writing in the Daily Telegraph Mr Timothy said that if Britain leaves the EU in "chaos" or does not leave the bloc at all, "a national humiliation greater than Suez awaits".
The comments come after Mrs May survived a series of knife-edge Commons votes which had the potential to sink her fragile premiership.
Related videos
The PM received a boost at a meeting of the backbench 1922 Committee when Eurosceptic MP Simon Clarke said he had changed his mind about trying to topple her.
Mr Clarke said he had withdrawn a letter calling for a confidence vote in Mrs May because Brexit had taken the Tory party to "breaking point", stating: "We have looked into the abyss in the last few days."
In order to boost support for her Brexit stance, Mrs May is to hold a series of meetings with grass roots Tories over the summer, according to reports.
MORE TO FOLLOW
Related articles
