May survives tough day as rebels seek support to knife PM in ballot

In another turbulent day of politics and surprises the hitherto unknown Stephen Barclay, a junior health minister, became Brexit Secretary after Thursday's departure of Dominic Raab.

However, in a sign that May clearly intends to take a leading role in Brexit talks from now on, the role was downgraded to focusing on domestic implementation rather than negotiation. Kwasi Kwarteng was appointed to a junior job in the department.

Amber Rudd made an unexpectedly speedy return to the Cabinet when she was appointed as Work & Pensions Secretary, replacing Esther McVey.

Rudd, a Remain supporter and key ally of May, was forced to quit as Home Secretary in April over her handling of the Windrush generation of Caribbean migrants who had lived legally in the UK for decades and were deported illegally or stripped of rights and benefits.

Despite public outrage, Rudd proved to be an enthusiastic prosecutor of the so-called "hostile environment" immigration policy first designed by May herself when at the Home Office and now perpetuated by Sajid Javid.

However, she finally had to go after admitting to having "inadvertently" misled two parliamentary committees on what she knew about targets for immigration removals.

May's waning fortunes received an extra boost from unlikely quarters when two of the bigger hardline ultra-right Brexit beasts in the Cabinet, Michael Gove and Liam Fox, both threw their weight behind the prime minister and decided not to join the exodus of disgruntled Leave supporters.

Gove, the Environment Secretary, also reportedly declined an alleged offer to take the Brexit post.

At least 23 MPs have publicly said they had submitted letters to the party's 1922 backbench committee demanding a no confidence vote - the threshold for a ballot is 48.

If triggered, the rebels, or May, would need a simple majority of 158 to win. Success for the leader under party rules mean they cannot be challenged for 12 months.

Earlier in the day May had insisted that her Brexit deal was the best one for the country, despite the resignations, coup threats and prospect of it being voted down by MPs.

There was also confusion around whether or not she would allow a free vote among MPs when the deal was put to parliament. In a radio interview May repeatedly declined to rule out the possibility which sent Westminster watchers into the usual frenzy.

After a marathon Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the government published the 585 page draft withdrawal agreement setting out the terms of the departure from the EU.

However, the deal proposed by May seems to have achieved the unwanted feat of annoying everyone across the political spectrum. Those on the centre-left of her Conservative Party feel it will leave Britain as a rule-taker from Brussels without any of the benefits of wider EU membership enjoyed under the status quo.

On the hard-line anti-European right wing the assessment is that it fails to deliver "total Brexit", no ties, no divorce settlement which would catapult Britain into their utopian vision of lower regulation, fewer workers' rights and an endless succession of fast and furious free trade deals.

The provisional agreement sets out commitments over citizens' rights after Brexit, the proposed 21-month transition period, the £39bn "divorce bill" and the "backstop" to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.