Conservative civil war deepens as Dominic Raab puts pressure on Theresa May to quit despite no-confidence vote win

'It looks very difficult to see how this prime minister can lead us forward'

Dominic Raab says Theresa May can no longer “lead us forward”, warning fellow Tories that her Brexit strategy is bringing a Jeremy Corbyn government closer.

The former Brexit secretary increased pressure on the prime minister to go, despite her winning last night’s vote of no confidence among Conservative MPs.

Mr Raab confirmed he had voted to topple Ms May, saying: “I didn’t think her position had been tenable.”

And he added: “My biggest fear now is that, if she continues in place, we have a greater risk of a Jeremy Corbyn government.

“We will have to back her as best we can, but the problem is that - both in relation to Brexit and the wider sustainability of the government, given likelihood of any changes to the deal and given the likely scale of opposition – it looks very difficult to see how this prime minister can lead us forward.”

The comments mark out Mr Raab – a likely future leadership contender – as the biggest hitter to say Ms May’s position remains in peril.

They underscored how the Tory civil war over Brexit is still raging, despite the hopes of May loyalists that her victory in the no-confidence vote would calm anger.

Damian Green, the prime minister’s former deputy, said last night: “This [the Brexit row] has been all about accepting a democratic result.

“I hope that those who voted against the prime minister will accept this democratic vote.”

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the chairman of the hard Brexit-supporting European Research Group, said it was “not impossible” that Ms May might change her mind and resign.

“You may remember that Margaret Thatcher said 'We fight on, we fight to win,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

“Nobody was tougher than Mrs Thatcher, and the next day she resigned. So it's not impossible.”