David Davis refuses to out rule PM job despite labelling leadership challenge ‘catastrophic’

DAVID Davis refused to rule himself out of a leadership challenge against Theresa May yesterday - despite agreeing a contest would be “catastrophic” for Brexit talks.

The Brexit Secretary branded leadership plotting among Tories “self-indulgent” as he praised the PM’s skills.

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He agreed she was “under pressure” but insisted “she is very good, she makes good decisions she is bold, she takes her time”.

But pushed on the BBC’s Marr Show if he’d confirm - like Boris Johnson - that he wouldn’t stand against her until Brexit talks were done and dusted, he would only say: “I’m not going to get into it”.

Mr Davis said: “Let me be absolutely plain about this, number one I happen to think we have got a very good Prime Minster.”

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And in a swipe to his former leadership foe David Cameron he added: “There is no essay crisis about this government. It is very, very, very clear that she is a good Prime Minister.”

It followed reports over the weekend that Tory MPs want a fresher, younger face to lead the party with ministers Dominic Raab and Jo Johnson both being touted as well as claims ministers wanted Chancellor Philip Hammond to be a “caretaker” PM for two years.

In an interview today International Development Secretary Priti Patel also refused to deny speculation she would run for the leadership.

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Asked whether she would want to lead the party on ITV’s Peston on Sunday she said: “I am talking about getting on and doing a good job.”

Last week the hotly tipped Foreign Secretary ruled out challenging the PM until 2019.

Speaking in a TV interview Mr Johnson said, “Yes, we have got to get on and deliver on the priorities of the people.”

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It came as former Tory party chairman Lord Patten warned the Conservatives were in danger of “looking like the nasty party” as he questioned why they were “ganging up with the DUP”.

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Talking about Mrs May’s public persona during the election campaign on Peston on Sunday, he said not being a “people person” was “like becoming a doctor and not liking the sight of blood”.

He added: “It’s very odd that people go into politics and, unlike somebody like Bill Clinton, don’t actually like people very much.”