A BREXIT BOOTING?
Cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom REFUSES to back Theresa May staying in No10 after delivering Brexit
THERESA May might not take it to fight the next election, a Cabinet minister admitted last night.
Andrea Leadsom refused to back the PM staying in No10 after Brexit, and would only say "politics is a short term game".
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Speaking after Mrs May impressed crowds at the Tory party conference in Birmingham yesterday, the leader of the Commons wouldn't say she should stay for the long term.
She told ITV's Peston: "That's all for the future.
"I just think politics is a short term game. A week changes a lot."
Although the PM's former leadership rival praised her make-or-break conference day as "fantastic" she wouldn't offer her full support.
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"I think she's had a fantastic day today. She's shown some enormous priorities around future cancer prevention through housing supply and absolutely her commitment to getting a good Brexit," she went on.
"And I think we should all be backing her."
Stepping down was a "matter for her", she added.
Many Tories have privately said they want her to step down after Brexit happens next March.
But the PM has not yet said she has any intention to quit her job, and has repeatedly said she's in it "for the long term".
Even Tories who are unhappy with her leadership admit there's not time to get rid of her and hold a leadership contest now - especially as the talks with the EU reach a crunch point in the coming weeks.
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Mrs May is back at work today, launching a 10-day push to lock down a divorce deal ahead of the EU summit headline.
She will be phoning leaders across Europe this morning to try and secure agreement.
The PM’s chief negotiator Olly Robbins has been in Brussels this week to try to hammer out a backstop plan to ensure no Irish border.
One Cabinet minister involved in the process told The Sun: “We need some very fancy footwork to get the Withdrawal Agreement wrapped up by the October council.
"The PM will be hitting the phone hard and we think it’s just about doable.”
The EU announced last night that its 27 leaders will meet to discuss Brexit over dinner on October 17, the night before the next summit starts.
A further intensive four week negotiation will then take place before another Brexit summit in November to agree the future framework for a UK-EU trade deal, before both are then signed at the same time.
The Irish PM is in Brussels today for talks with EU bosses, as the Northern Irish border continues to be a sticking point in Brexit talks.
Mrs May's DUP allies won't accept anything that virtually breaks up Northern Ireland with the rest of the UK, but stubborn Brussels chiefs are still refusing to compromise over their hard-line demands.
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Just minutes before Mrs May gave her speech yesterday one of her critics said he'd sent a letter of no confidence in her to the party's chairman.
James Duddridge said he no longer wanted her to lead the Tories and failing to remove her as leader could lead to Jeremy Corbyn winning the next election.
"I write this with heavy heart, however we now need a proper leadership election and to move on," he said.
It needs 48 letters for Mrs May to face a leadership challenge, but she will need at least 150 of her own MPs to vote to actually boot her out.
Tory MP James Duddridge submits letter of no confidence in Theresa May minutes before her big conference speech in anger over Brexit