It’s time to go

Senior Tories’ message for Theresa May: ‘It’s time to go’

Gove and Lidington both reported to have support to take over as UK prime minister.

By PAUL DALLISON

Senior members of the Conservative Party have told the Cabinet that now is the time to get rid of Theresa May.

According to several reports in the British press Sunday, a number of names have been suggested as caretaker prime minister if May is ousted, including Michael Gove and David Lidington.

In the Telegraph, Nicky Morgan, a former Cabinet minister and Remain supporter, said of May: "Unfortunately, I think that what started off as qualities that people admired are the ones that now mean she’s not the flexible leader to find a way through this.

“I understand that it is difficult to say to someone that it’s time to go. But there are enough people around the Cabinet table who can step up … and she’s got to listen.”

In the same paper, former Brexit Minister Steve Baker had a message for the Cabinet: “If they will not act now when are they ever going to be seen to step forward and how could they possibly persuade the country that they’re the great statesmen to take us forward?”

In the Mail, an unnamed "government source" said there is "complete unanimity" that May has to go, with Environment Secretary Michael Gove the "consensus choice" to replace her in Downing Street. Pro-Remain Cabinet ministers such as Chancellor Philip Hammond and Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd are reported to have been backing Cabinet Office Minister David Lidington to take over from May.

David Davis, May's first Brexit secretary, writes in the Telegraph that the EU treated the prime minister with "humiliating disdain" and if her deal doesn't pass in parliament at the third time of asking, she should be prepared to leave the EU with no deal.