Cabinet minister Liam Fox has sought to defend the prime minister’s Brexit proposals by claiming that “a deal is better than no deal”.

The international development secretary’s comments mark a change in stance from the previous “no deal is better than a bad deal” line, taken by Theresa May since early 2017.

The comments from Dr Fox, who has been seen as a leading Brexiteer, come as the prime minister appeared to have at least temporarily stemmed the flow of resignations from her front bench that began on Thursday.

Claims that there were also now enough letters from Tory MPs calling for Ms May to resign were also being called into question on Friday, with a vote of no confidence looking unlikely until next week.

In a message apparently aimed at rebel MPs, Dr Fox said: “I hope that we all take a rational and reasonable view of this. We are not elected to do what we want, we are elected to do what’s in the national interest.

“Ultimately I hope that across parliament we recognise that a deal is better than no deal. Businesses do require certainty, confidence as they go forward for their planning.

“And there are those round the world who are waiting to get certainty also to begin to discuss trade agreements with the United Kingdom. It is in our national interest.”

Catherine Stihler, Labour MEP and Best for Britain champion, said the comments served to underline why there is need for new referendum on Brexit.

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She went on: “This is a rebuke to the hardline Brexiteers who want to push Britain over the cliff-edge. It demonstrates the extent of the civil war engulfing the Tory Party.

“A no-deal scenario would undoubtedly be more calamitous than a deal approved by EU member states, costing hundreds of thousands of jobs. But there is no such thing as a good Brexit deal. The only way to protect jobs and grow our economy is as part of the EU.”

Ms May’s defacto deputy David Lidington also hit the airwaves to tel Tories plotting against her they should instead rally behind the Prime Minister in the “national interest”.

Cabinet Office minister praised Ms May’s resilience in carrying out the “absolutely back-breaking job” of delivering a Brexit deal for the United Kingdom.

Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Show all 13 1 /13 Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Esther McVey Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey arrives to attend the weekly meeting of the cabinet at 10 Downing Street in London. - Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey resigned from the cabinet over draft Brexit deal AFP/Getty Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Handout image taken from the Twitter feed of @EstherMcVey1 of the resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Theresa May from Works and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday November 15, 2018. Ms McVey has resigned, saying the Brexit deal âdoes not honour the result of the referendumâ. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: @DominicRaab/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Dominic Raab British Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab give a press conference at the end of the final round of talks in Brexit negotiations at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium EPA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Handout image taken from the Twitter feed of @DominicRaab of the resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Theresa May from Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday November 15, 2018. Mr Raab has resigned, saying he âcannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EUâ. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: @DominicRaab/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Rehman Chrishti Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party Rehman Chrishti tendered his resignation letter this afternoon PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Anne-Marie Trevelyan Parliamentary private secretary in the Department of Education Anne-Marie Trevelyan resigned stating that she cannot support the deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Handout image taken from the Twitter feed of @annietrev of the resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Theresa May from Anne-Marie Trevelyan, a parliamentary private secretary in the Department for Education. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday November 15, 2018. Ms Trevelyan has resigned saying she cannot support the Brexit deal after negotiations âbuilt on the UK trying to appease the EUâ. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: @annietrev/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Sam Gyimah Universities minister Sam Gyimah resigned on November 30, claiming the government's decision to pull out of the EU's Galileo satellite navigation system as a deciding factor PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Shailesh Vara Shailesh Vara who has quit as Minister of State for Northern Ireland, saying he cannot support Theresa May's Brexit agreement, which he said "leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation" PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Suella Braverman Brexit minister Suella Braverman has resigned, stating “It is not what the British people, or my constituents, voted for in 2016.” Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Ranil Jayawardena Parliamentary private secretary to the ministry of justice Ranil Jayawardena resigned as he could not back the deal "in good conscience"

Earlier in the day it emerged that environment secretary Michael Gove was now not likely to quit, amid speculation that he would follow Dominic Raab and Esther McVey in resigning over the draft Brexit plan.

Former Brexit minister Steve Baker – a leading member of the European Research Group which is at the forefront of attempts to now depose Ms May – said he believed they were close to getting the 48 letters of no confidence needed to trigger a vote on her future.

“People have been ringing me and they are telling me that they are putting letters in. I have spoken to colleagues as well and I think we are probably not far off. I think it is probably imminent,” he told BBC2’s Politics Live.

He acknowledged he had sent a WhatsApp message to colleagues earlier saying that his count was over 48, with around a dozen probables, but admitted the number was probably inaccurate.

He said that only Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, knew the true figure.