PM Dismisses Coup Plot By Ex-Tory Chairman Grant Shapps

May hits back at Tory plotters claiming she has 'full support' of Cabinet as furious MPs turn on 'used car salesman' Grant Shapps after he goes public with bid to oust PM.....
Theresa May insisted she has the 'full support' of the Cabinet today as furious Tories turned on the former minister leading an insurrection against her.

The PM dismissed calls to quit and said she was 'providing calm leadership' after Grant Shapps went public with his plot claiming that 'one or two' members of Mrs May's own team privately wanted her to go.

But the former party chairman admitted his coup attempt was still well short of the 48 names needed to force a contest for the top job.

And he was brutally lampooned by Conservative MPs, who branded him 'embittered', a 'used car salesman' and said he spoke for 'no-one'. One backbencher said Remainers were making a 'pathetic' bid to regain control of the party and said of the idea he had 30 supporters: 'Diane Abbott must be doing the adding up.'

The Conservative civil war has burst into flames in the wake of Mrs May's dire conference in Manchester, which culminated in her speech being wrecked by a prankster, sore throat and collapsing set.

After rumours of a plot swirled yesterday, Tory whips decided to expose Mr Shapps' as the ringleader. Supporters of Mrs May hope the move will rob the coup attempt of momentum.

Mr Shapps took to the airwaves today after he was unmasked, insisting: 'The writing is on the wall for May. We can't just carry on. I think having lost an election the party must look for a new leader to take us forward.'

He insisted: 'One or two Cabinet members privately agree'.

However, speaking to reporters on a visit in her Maidenhead constituency this afternoon, Mrs May retorted: 'What the country needs is calm leadership and that is what I am providing with the full support of my Cabinet.'

Senior MPs derided Mr Shapps, with the vice chair of the powerful 1922 committee, Charles Walker, saying: 'No10 must be delighted to learn that it's Grant Shapps leading this alleged coup.'

Nadine Dorries said the mutiny was being orchestrated by Remainers who wanted to derail Brexit and stop Boris Johnson winning the leadership, naming former ministers Anna Soubry and Nicky Morgan as among the agitators.

'The plot is by remain MPs to topple the PM, destroy Boris and put a remain leader in place to delay and possibly destroy #Brexit,' she wrote on Twitter.