May: said to be content to defeat any power grab ‘by one vote’

Theresa May has vowed to defy cabinet plotters, telling aides that she will not be bullied out of office by ministers or hardline Brexiteers opposed to her EU plans.

The prime minister has decided to stand and fight if Tory MPs force a vote to oust her — declaring that she is content to “win by one vote”.

That means the rebels would need 159 MPs to bring her down, more than three times the 48 who would be needed to trigger a vote of no confidence.

May’s decision comes as she faces crunch Brexit talks with the cabinet at Chequers this week and MPs revealed that six senior ministers are plotting to succeed her.

The prime minister will warn hardline Brexiteers that they