One of Theresa May’s closest Cabinet allies has asked to see the Prime Minister today amid backbench calls for her to stand down immediately.
David Mundell, the Scots Secretary, was understood to acting alone rather than as part of a group of Cabinet ministers who are rumoured to be plotting a coup.
But the loyalist’s request prompted immediate speculation that he could be about to break the news gently to the PM that her time was up - as Ken Clarke did with Margaret Thatcher.
And the Mirror understands Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, the current frontrunner among MPs to replace Mrs May, is also heading to Number 10 this afternoon for a "recently scheduled" meeting.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid is also understood to have asked for a meeting with the PM.
It comes amid claims that a group of Brexit -backing Cabinet ministers were this afternoon discussing sending a delegation to tell Mrs May that she should resign after unveiling her “bold, new” Brexit offer to MPs.
Cabinet discontent at the PM’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill - which included promises of votes on a second referendum and a customs union - was bubbling over with Westminster awash with rumours about an imminent coup.
One Cabinet minister told the Mirror: “Things are moving fast”.
There will be a meeting of the Tory backbench 1922 committee this afternoon where disgruntled MPs are expected to argue for changing party rules to allow a further no confidence vote in the PM.
The Commons rises for the Whitsun recess tomorrow and MPs won’t return to Westminster until the first week of June, when Mrs May has promised to give them a vote on her Brexit bill.
One cabinet source told the Mirror: “If you don’t do it today, she’s safe for two weeks.”
At least four Cabinet ministers were said to be in talks about asking the PM to step down after her attempt to get cross-party backing hit a wall of opposition.
Environment secretary Michael Gove suggested this morning that the crunch vote on the WAB should be pulled.
“I think we will reflect over the course of the next few days on how people look at the proposition that has been put forward,” he said.
Several of his Cabinet colleagues - thought to include Commons leader Andrea Leadsom, Chief Secretary Liz Truss and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox - are believed to agree that the key bill should be held back for a new leader to push through.
If the bill falls under Mrs May, her successor would have to introduce a Queen’s Speech to bring it back. If that failed to pass, they would have to call a general election.
Even Mrs May’s closest allies admit it would be impossible for her to go back to Brussels to ask for more concessions.
One Downing Street insider said: “I don’t see how this PM can do it. She’s already tried three times. She signed up to this deal.”
However, one ally of Mr Mundell played down expectations that he would be asking her to stand down.
“Everybody knows the game is up but I don’t think he’s gone in there to deliver the coup de grace,” they said.
Other allies said he was seeking clarity on the PM’s position on a second referendum amid concern over a second Scots independence vote.
Earlier, Tory MPs greeted Mrs May’s arrival at Prime Minister’s Questions in silence.
Her frontbench was virtually empty of Brexiteers with only Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt present - and Mrs Leadsom arriving late.
The PM was spotted being driven out of the Commons after her Brexit statement and is understood to be working in No 10 this afternoon.
Her speech yesterday telling MPs that her WAB was her “last chance” to deliver Brexit was met with fury by Tory MPs and the numbers in Parliament appeared increasingly stacked against her.
A No 10 spokesman said: “The Prime Minister is focused on the job in hand and what the last 24 hours have proved are that it’s a big one. We’ve got a job of work to do and that won’t be easy.”
The Tories are also expecting a drubbing in tomorrow’s European elections, with speculation that the result could fall below 10%.
