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Theresa May suffered a new blow today as a Cabinet minister failed to give full-throated backing to her Brexit plan.

Esther McVey was asked if she had full confidence in the Prime Minister’s 'soft Brexit' scheme drawn up at Chequers.

But she replied with no reference to the plan, instead saying: "I have full confidence in the Prime Minister to deliver the Brexit that Britain voted for.”

It came hours after Tory MP Philip Davies handed in a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister.

The pair have long been close, arriving at a Tory fundraiser in February arm-in-arm and leaving hand-in-hand. In March Ms McVey was quoted in the Daily Mail saying: "We're partners but we haven't done any official commitment stuff... yet."

(Image: Dan Kitwood)

Right-wing Brexiteer Mr Davies revealed his letter this morning saying he had "lost trust" in Theresa May's ability to deliver Brexit.

The letter to voters in his Shipley constituency, obtained by the Yorkshire Post, said Mrs May's Chequers' plan for Brexit was "unacceptable".

It added: "Politics is all about trust and once it is lost it is impossible to win back.

"Many people have told me that as a result of this they have lost trust in the PM to properly and fully deliver the referendum result.

"It is with much sadness that I have to say that I have also lost trust in her to deliver the referendum result too."

Mr Davies said that Tories faced losing power to Jeremy Corbyn's Labour if they failed to deliver the Brexit which the country voted for in the 2016 EU referendum .

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

"Failure to keep our promise to the electorate will almost certainly lead to the catastrophe of Jeremy Corbyn becoming prime minister and I cannot sit back and allow that to happen," he wrote.

"This has not been an easy decision and I have agonised over it, but I know in my heart of hearts it is the right decision."

If 48 Tory MPs hand in no confidence letters it will trigger a full Conservative leadership contest.

It is not known how many have been handed in and Mr Davies is only the third to go public, after Andrew Bridgen and Andrea Jenkyns.

(Image: Evening Gazette)

Mr Davies' move comes hours after fellow Brexiteer Simon Clarke revealed he had withdrawn his own letter at a packed meeting of the backbench 1922 Committee.

Mr Clarke told journalists afterwards: "We’ve looked into the abyss in the last few days.”

He said he was "deeply opposed" to her Chequers deal, but had withdrawn his letter because of “the threat from a Corbyn government or no Brexit at all."