Brexit - as it happened: Eurosceptic issues leadership challenge to Theresa May's cabinet as no-confidence vote intrigue grows
Fresh cabinet appointments include Amber Rudd as DWP secretary
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Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May faces another tough day as she battles to cling onto her job after a flurry of ministerial resignations and a growing campaign to unseat her by Conservative MPs unhappy about her Brexit deal.
As No 10 gears up for a potential vote of no confidence, government whips were recalled to Westminster from their constituencies.
Ms May began the morning with a 30-minute phone-in on LBC, where she insisted she would carry on as prime minister and defended the Brexit deal that has infuriated many of her MPs. She was speaking minutes after former culture secretary John Whittingdale became the latest to announce he had submitted a letter of no-confidence in her.
Having lost senior cabinet ministers Dominic Raab and Esther McVey, pressure on Ms May was heightened after leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg submitted his letter calling for a vote of no-confidence on Thursday afternoon.
A number of other Tory backbenchers publicly followed suit. If the number of letters hits 48 (15 per cent of the parliamentary party) Sir Graham Brady, who chairs the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, will automatically trigger a confidence vote in Ms May.
There is growing speculation of further cabinet resignations, with Michael Gove considering whether he should step down after apparently refusing to take the Brexit secretary job.
Mr Gove is believed to have demanded that Ms May’s draft agreement is renegotiated and for the 25 November summit with the EU to be cancelled.
Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary, is also thought to be still considering quitting and met with Ms May yesterday to discuss.
May asked which cabinet resignation annoyed her most, she says she feels sorry that anyone has to leave.
Talking about Michael Gove, Ms May says he "has been doing a really great job" and hopes he doesn't resign.
Ms May asked if it is time for her to step aside and let Jacob Rees-Mogg take over.
She doesn't answer the question directly and speaks about the EU negotiations being about compromises.
Theresa May appears to rule out giving MPs a free vote on her Brexit deal - a demand being made by Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary.
The prime minister says:
"There is cabinet responsibility. Government will put its position to the House of Commons."
May is asked by a caller whether she is the "modern day Chamberlain", having "appeased a foreign power and not stood up for our country".
She says "we're not going to be locked in forever to something we don't want".
She says her deal means the UK will take back control of borders and laws and leave the customs union and single market.
And that's the end of the LBC phone-in.
A key Commons committee has dismissed the government's plan for giving MPs a "meaningful vote" on the Brexit deal, dealing a further blow to Theresa May's hopes of forcing her withdrawal agreement through Parliament
Michael Gove has arrived at work in Westminster. He refuses to answer questions about whether he will be resigning from the Cabinet today.
NEW: Multiple reports suggest government whips have been summoned back to Westminster and told to cancel constituency events today...
Julian Smith, the government chief whip, is currently in No 10.
Have rebels reached the 48 signatures needed to trigger a vote of no confidence?
Michael Gove made no comment about his future as he left his home this morning
Tom Watson, Labour's deputy leader, has said a fresh referendum on Brexit is now "more likely".
He told The House magazine:
"If you get to the point, and it’s looking more likely, where Parliament cannot decide what the best option is, we think that’s the point where you go to the people in a general election. They voted to leave the European Union, they didn’t vote for food shortages or problems with medical supplies or not to be able to sell goods to the European markets. They voted to bring sovereignty back to the UK.
"If that plan isn’t going to work the way to do it is to put your option to the people in a general election. If we don’t get that, then obviously a people’s vote is still on the table and our position has not changed."
He added:
“We’ve been saying that is on the table for a year-and-a-half. At that time, it seemed very unlikely that there would be a people’s vote, that was the insurance option at the end of a series of unlikely events.
"It seems to me that it is more likely given the weakness of Theresa May’s position. She leads a government without a majority, it now looks like she leads a Cabinet without a majority as well. Given the weakness of her own government, I think it is more likely that we could get there."
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