Theresa May’s premiership was hanging by a thread on Thursday night as her own MPs called on her to “stand aside” after a devastating day of ministerial resignations over her Brexit plan.

The Prime Minister insisted that she would “see this through” and fight any attempt to oust her, as she said she was still able to bear the “heavy responsibility” of her office.

However, her position looked increasingly precarious as Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leading Eurosceptic, said he had “no confidence” in Mrs May, as he and other Tory MPs formally called for a vote on her leadership, which could come as early as Monday.

It came after Dominic Raab dramatically quit as Brexit Secretary, saying he could not support the deal Mrs May proposed to agree with the EU.

Esther McVey also resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary as a total of seven ministers and senior MPs quit their posts. Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, was said to be considering his future on Thursday night after apparently turning down an offer to become Mr Raab’s replacement.

At least two other ministers, Penny Mordaunt and Andrea Leadsom, were said to be considering walking out of the Cabinet, amid speculation that a second day of high-profile resignations on Friday could make Mrs May’s position untenable.

The Daily Telegraph can also disclose that the Conservative Party’s deal with the DUP – upon which Mrs May relies for her majority – is over unless Mrs May is replaced with a new leader.

Sources close to Arlene Foster confirmed on Thursday night that the party would vote down the Withdrawal Agreement in Parliament, adding that their support now “depended on who the leader of the Conservative Party is”.

At a press conference in Downing Street Mrs May was asked if she would fight any confidence vote, and replied: “Am I going to see this through? Yes.”

She said: “I believe with every fibre of my being that the course I have set out is the right one for our country and all our people.” Mr Raab, who had been expected to travel to Brussels on Wednesday for a handshake on the deal with Michel Barnier, said in his resignation letter he could not accept “an indefinite backstop arrangement” for the Irish border.

Ms McVey said: “We have gone from no deal is better than a bad deal, to any deal is better than no deal. I cannot defend this, and I cannot vote for this deal.”

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During a tumultuous three-hour interrogation by MPs in the Commons, the scale of the task facing Mrs May if she is to get her Brexit deal through Parliament became clear, as Tory and DUP MPs lined up to berate the Prime Minister’s proposal.

They included Mr Rees-Mogg, who told Mrs May that “what [she] says and what [she] does no longer match”. Mr Rees-Mogg disclosed he had told the Chief Whip, Julian Smith, weeks ago that Mrs May’s time was up, and that he had tried to avoid the “disagreeable” spectacle of a no-confidence vote but that it was no longer possible.

He said the draft Brexit deal “has turned out to be worse than anticipated”, and called on the Conservative Party to ditch Mrs May and replace her with a Leave supporter, citing Boris Johnson, David Davis, Mr Raab, Ms McVey and Ms Mordaunt as potential successors.

He ruled himself out of the running, saying: “I’m not offering my name as leader. This is nothing to do with me.” Downing Street is now on alert for a “no confidence” vote among Tory MPs within days, after other MPs rowed in behind Mr Rees-Mogg by submitting letters calling for a confidence vote. Tory Party rules state a vote must be held “as soon as possible” if 15 per cent of the Parliamentary party – meaning 48 MPs – submit letters. It means a vote could be held as soon as Monday if the threshold is crossed on Friday.

The pound plunged after Thursday’s resignations, losing 1.8 per cent of its value against the dollar and the euro.

In Brussels Donald Tusk, the European Council, president goaded Mrs May by saying: “The EU is prepared for a final deal with the United Kingdom in November. We are also prepared for a no-deal scenario but of course we are best prepared for a no-Brexit scenario.”

01:18AM 'Europe disappearing into itself'

'Europe disappearing into itself'

Kevin Rudd, the former Australian prime minister, has given his perspective on Brexit.

Speaking to just a handful of MPs on the Commons Foreign Affairs select committee, the former prime minister warned that Europe's obsession with itself was damaging its ability to respond to the changing world elsewhere.

"Europe disappearing into itself has been felt, observed and lamented across wider east Asia, " Mr Rudd said, speaking in his capacity as president of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

"The absorption of the collective foreign policy energies of the European Union into its own internal challenges has I think been a net disservice to the long-term strategic stability of east Asia."

12:50AM Gove has been left with May's future in his hands

Gove has been left with May's future in his hands

As Theresa May was in Westminster fighting for her political life, Michael Gove was bunkered down at his £2million home in Earls Court contemplating whether to save her or resign, writes Steven Swinford.

In an extraordinary bid to keep Mr Gove onside and bolster her authority, the Prime Minister offered him the chance to become Brexit Secretary after Dominic Raab quit the Government.

Michael Gove arrives at 10 Downing Street credit: Reuters

The Environment Secretary faced a dilemma. On the one hand he had been supportive of the deal in Cabinet and was being offered the chance to shape Brexit into something he would find more palatable.

On the other he harboured significant concerns that the role is a "poisoned chalice" and would force him to deliver a Brexit deal he did not believe in.

Read the full article.

11:49PM Mrs May must now rescue not only Brexit, but her own leadership

Mrs May must now rescue not only Brexit, but her own leadership

Tonight's Telegraph View argues Theresa May's has become a single-issue premiership based on leaving the EU – and it will stand or fall on it.

"Eschewing visionary leadership, the Prime Minster has merely tried to satisfy competing interests. Has this brought the country closer together? "If anything, the debate has become more rancorous and radical. Witness the loud cheers from Remainers when the Prime Minister warned in Parliament yesterday that Brexit may not happen at all if her deal is voted down. "Indeed, has her deal satisfied any group of voters at all? The EU has been offered everything its heart desires: £39 billion, guaranteed citizenship rights, a backstop for Northern Ireland and Britain in the customs union. "Brussels is pleased, but when one steps back and looks at the whole picture, what Mrs May has put on the table seems calculated to displease all sides at home."

Read the full column here

11:16PM We all need a stiff drink after today

We all need a stiff drink after today

No doubt tomorrow's Matt cartoon reflects exactly how most of us felt tuning into the evening news tonight.

Matt cartoon, 16 November credit: Matt

10:58PM More letters of no confidence...

More letters of no confidence...

Tory MP Adam Holloway said he too had submitted a letter calling for a confidence vote.

The Gravesham MP said: "My letter of no confidence has now been delivered - with regret.

"Mrs May is a remarkable woman - just look at her fortitude today in the House of Commons, even more please remember her long career of public service.

"But as we see from the events of today, you can not have someone leading a mission who does not believe in the mission. The country needs Leadership."

At the same time, former minister James Duddridge suggested the number of letters required to trigger a vote may already have been reached.

Mr Duddridge, who submitted his own call to the 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady during the Tory conference in October, said: "I think I recall Brady said he will give the PM 48 hours notice before going public.

"We may have hit the 48 letters but no announcement."

10:43PM Nicola Sturgeon suggests Europe would be willing to renegotiate

Nicola Sturgeon suggests Europe would be willing to renegotiate

European leaders could be willing to renegotiate a Brexit deal to keep the UK in the single market if Theresa May fails to get her draft agreement through the House of Commons, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The Scottish First Minister said at the moment it was "difficult to see" how the PM could get the necessary votes to get her proposals through Parliament.

"Instead of just waiting for it to be defeated, right now we should be looking to get a better alternative on the table".

Ms Sturgeon, speaking at the Scottish Federation of Small Businesses' annual dinner in Glasgow, again stated that crashing out of the European Union is "not inevitable".

And she argued it was "time to get something sensible on the table" as an alternative.

She said: "People will say the EU is not going to negotiate any other deal, well I don't suspect they will want to go back to the drawing board.

"But if the UK was to come forward with what I think is the sensible option, what we in the Scottish Government have argued all along, that the UK is leaving the EU but is going to stay in the single market, all of it, and the customs union, I think there would be a willingness to negotiate that on the part of the EU."

10:10PM Chief Minister of Gibraltar at Downing Street

Chief Minister of Gibraltar at Downing Street

Theresa May met Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo at Downing Street to discuss the Brexit plan.

"They commended the hard work of negotiating teams and the constructive discussions that have taken place with Spain and the European Union to ensure that important mutual interests are protected, and new opportunities are enabled for all," a Downing Street spokesman said.

"In particular the Prime Minister and Chief Minister welcomed the conclusion of a Protocol on Gibraltar that forms an integral part of the draft withdrawal agreement and will provide certainty to citizens and businesses in Gibraltar and the surrounding area.

"The leaders agreed that these arrangements reflected the determination of all parties to move forward in a spirit of dialogue and co-operation."

Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, leaves the Cabinet office in Westminster credit: Andrew Matthews/PA

09:42PM Allison Pearson: The Prime Minister must go, and go now

Allison Pearson: The Prime Minister must go, and go now

This ghost of a prime minister has humiliated her country and lied to its people, writes Allison Pearson.

"It’s simply staggering. The PM who assured us in her stirring Lancaster House speech that “no deal is better than a bad deal” had the effrontery to stand outside Number 10 on Wednesday night and say, in effect, “any deal is better than no deal”. "Jacob Rees-Mogg found a typically courteous and elegant formulation for this dissembling: “What my Right Honourable Friend says and what my Right Honourable Friend does no longer match.” "If you translate that from eighteenth-century Moggese, he’s calling the Prime Minister a liar. And he’s right."

Read Allison Pearson's full column here

09:11PM Biting at the leopard print heels

Biting at the leopard print heels

Tomorrow's Bob cartoon has ministers lining up to knock Theresa May off balance - taking aim at her trademark animal heels.

Bob cartoon, 16 November credit: Bob

08:39PM No confidence vote expected next week

No confidence vote expected next week

ERG sources say they expect the threshold of 48 letters of no confidence to be passed as early as Friday, triggering a vote on Mrs May's future as early as Monday.

This comes as Jacob Rees-Mogg denied he was mounting a “coup” after he called for the PM to quit.

For many observers today marks the day the dam broke in Westminster for dozens of Eurosceptic Conservative MPs who had been fiercely critical of Mrs May’s Brexit policy in private finally vented their fury.

Read Christopher Hope's full story here

08:27PM Theresa May to brave the people

Theresa May to brave the people

The Prime Minister has announced she will continue efforts to sell her Brexit deal to the public when she answers questions from listeners on LBC on Friday morning at 8am.

We'll expect some fiery exchanges!

08:02PM Mordaunt pushing for free vote on Brexit

Mordaunt pushing for free vote on Brexit

The BBC's political editor reports:

07:44PM Mordaunt may stay in Cabinet

Mordaunt may stay in Cabinet

ITV's political editor says that Downing Street has managed to talk Penny Mordaunt down from the cliff.

07:40PM May's sinking feeling

May's sinking feeling

Readers who have followed this blog all day and are staying with us tonight will no doubt welcome a little light amusement.

After all, if Mr Gove does resign it is going to be very late at night - David Davis bowed out at around midnight.

With that in mind, have a chuckle at this tweet from David Schneider.

07:33PM Anaylst: This deal fails to please anyone

Anaylst: This deal fails to please anyone

Tom Kibasi, the director of progressive think tank IPPR, has issued a scathing response to the Withdrawal Agreement.

The Withdrawal Agreement fails to deliver either the certainty needed for business investment or the greater control that was a key demand of Leave campaigners. Despite running to some 500 pages, what is striking is what is missing: the negotiations have failed to secure a British say in either trade or the ultimate decision on the Irish border. Indeed, the backstop envisages Northern Ireland being half in the EU and half in the UK if it is ever activated, and notably subject to European Court of Justice decisions. This is not a soft Brexit: the government has negotiated a barebones customs union that alone will not deliver frictionless trade. The cliff edge has been postponed rather than eliminated.

It's hard to see how any business can feel excited about the deal at this stage.

07:29PM Asa Bennett: Brexit deal relies on silent majority across Commons

Asa Bennett: Brexit deal relies on silent majority across Commons

07:24PM Watch our for Lord Adonis if you're on a train

Watch our for Lord Adonis if you're on a train

Brexit hardman Andrew Adonis says he has been going up to people at random on his train and asking them if they would like to run the Brexit negotiations.

The Arch-Remainer, who has never contested an election, believes he is the man to save the UK from Brexit, one conversation at a time. Wish him luck.

07:19PM Hold on to your Brexit hats

Hold on to your Brexit hats

Some more details are trickling down to Westminster correspondents on the fate of Mr Gove.

07:16PM Can there be a 'no-Brexit scenario'?

Can there be a 'no-Brexit scenario'?

Donald Tusk reiterated his support for the UK calling off Brexit altogether earlier today. That's music to the ears of the People's Vote and Remain crowd.

But even the EU itself believes reversing Brexit - rather than rejoining the EU - would be difficult.

The UK would need to unilaterally revoke Article 50, the legal mechanism for leaving the bloc. But there's no legal precedent for doing this, and the debate as to whether it is legally possible has raged on for months.

Some EU members, particularly the Nordic and eastern European states, would be delighted if the UK pulled the plug - as if nothing ever happened.

But others, notably France and Germany, want Brexit finished as soon as possible. Then they can push ahead with bold reforms, such as setting up an EU Army, with pesky Britain no longer around to impose a veto.

That isn't to say Mr Macron and Mrs Merkel don't want us back at all. They do - but we have to leave first.

That would require us to then renegotiate our new EU membership from scratch, empowering Brussels to impose conditions on London that it would never have accepted as one of the EU's most powerful countries.

In other words, cancelling Brexit could create just as many problems as it solves.

07:07PM Tusk, Verhofstadt invite UK to scrap Brexit

Tusk, Verhofstadt invite UK to scrap Brexit

EU leaders said they were hoping for a "no-Brexit scenario" on Thursday as they suggested that Britain could call off the entire process if it did not like the terms of the deal.

Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said reversing the referendum result would be the EU's preferred outcome of the negotiations.

"The EU is prepared for a final deal with the United Kingdom in November. We are also prepared for a no-deal scenario but of course we are best prepared for a no-Brexit scenario," said Mr Tusk at a press conference in Brussels.

He added: “Since the very beginning we have had no doubt that Brexit is a lose-lose situation and that our negotiations are about damage control.”

Guy Verhofstadt, the European parliament co-ordinator, added that he would like to see the UK eventually "rejoin the European family," though he expressed doubts that this could be achieved by a second referendum.

Other officials did their best to appear magnanimous at the moment of their Brexit victory, having succeeded in preventing the return of a hard Irish border and keeping Britain shackled to Brussels red tape for years to come.

“I am not smug or self-satisfied,” Mr Barnier had said on Wednesday night as he declared that “decisive progress” in the Brexit negotiations had been achieved.

“Mrs May said this is the best possible agreement in the circumstances” Mr Barnier said, unaware at the time that a storm of resignations, including that of his opposite number Dominic Raab, was already brewing in London.

“You think this is a bad deal?,” one EU diplomat told The Telegraph,”it is not a bad deal when the alternative is no deal at all.”

Reaction to the deal among the EU27 was broadly positive, with one Irish newspaper claiming "victory" for Dublin at the expense of chaos in London.

Irish ministers were warned after Mrs May's announcement that they not should say anything that would lead to them being accused of "gloating" over the controversial backstop clause.

Leo Varadkar is said to have been concerned that any provocative language from TDs [MPs] and Senators might unravel the deal at the last minute.

06:56PM What happens next?

What happens next?

No confidence vote? Leadership contest? General election? Second referendum?

Here's a useful guide to what might happen next in the Brexit saga.

06:54PM Resignations latest

Resignations latest

Penny Mordaunt has not resigned, Christopher Hope reckons.

Meanwhile Michael Gove has finished his meeting with the Prime Minister and is now back at home. Number 10 has not denied reports that he will resign later tonight.

06:13PM 'Victory in Ireland, chaos in London'

'Victory in Ireland, chaos in London'

Reaction from Ireland, France, Sweden, Italy and others has been pouring in today. And some of them are still not satisfied with the deal.

Read more here.

06:07PM Going, going, Gove?

Going, going, Gove?

The Times reports that Michael Gove, the environment secretary, is going to resign tonight.

05:40PM Theresa May yet to appoint Dominic Raab's replacement

Theresa May yet to appoint Dominic Raab's replacement

The Prime Minister is asked about the status of Michael Gove.

She says she has not appointed a new Brexit Secretary yet but will be making an appointment "in due course".

05:33PM Theresa May insists she will see Brexit through

Theresa May insists she will see Brexit through

The Prime Minister is asked if she is in office but not in power and she replies by saying she is focused on doing her job.

She then says that MPs will be held accountable for the decisions they make in a not-very-coded warning to her backbenchers.

She then delivers this key line: "Am I going to see this through? Yes."

A fairly clear indication that the Prime Minister will fight any bid to oust her.

05:29PM Theresa May: I have put the national interest first

Theresa May: I have put the national interest first

Press conference is underway. The Prime Minister says negotiating Brexit is a "matter of the highest consequence" as she makes clear she intends to fight on.

She says her approach "throughout has been to put the national interest first".

She says she is "sorry" people have chosen to leave the Government but "believe with every fibre of my being" that her deal is best for Britain.

She then sets out why she believes her deal delivers on the result of the EU referendum and says: "This is a Brexit that delivers on the priorities of the British people."

She says "difficult and sometimes uncomfortable" decisions have had to be taken as she urges people to unite behind her deal.

She warns that if MPs reject her deal "nobody can know for sure what will follow".

05:14PM Theresa May 15 minutes late for press conference

Theresa May 15 minutes late for press conference

And so we wait. We had been expecting the Prime Minister at 5pm but she has been delayed.

05:06PM Video: Who has resigned and why?

Video: Who has resigned and why?

04:50PM Brexit chaos: How the day unfolded in Westminster

Brexit chaos: How the day unfolded in Westminster

It has been an incredible day in Westminster. Here's a recap of how things unfolded:

- 7.30am: Donald Tusk announces the council will hold an extraordinary summit in Brussels on November 25 to finalise the UK's withdrawal agreement.

- 7.30am: Shailesh Vara quits as Northern Ireland Minister.

- 8.50am: Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab quits.

Dominic Raab credit: Andrew Matthews/PA

- 10am: Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey resigns.

- 10.20am: Suella Braverman resigns as a Brexit minister.

- 10.20am: Anne-Marie Trevelyan quits as a parliamentary private secretary in the Department for Education.

- 10.30am: Mrs May begins her address to Parliament

- 12.35: Ranil Jayawardena, Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, resigns.

- 1.20pm: European Research Group chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg hands in his letter of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee.

- 1.30pm: Mrs May finishes her statement to the Commons after nearly three hours, and after answering more than 100 questions.

Theresa May arrives back at Number 10 credit: Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

- 1.55pm: Commons Leader and pro-Brexit MP Andrea Leadsom insists she has no plans to quit the Cabinet.

- 2.05pm: Further Tory MPs begin publishing letters of no confidence in Mrs May on Twitter.

- 3pm: Gillingham and Rainham MP Rehman Chishti resigns as Conservative vice-chairman and prime ministerial trade envoy to Pakistan.

04:39PM Dominic Raab quit after being blindsided by final Brexit deal

Dominic Raab quit after being blindsided by final Brexit deal

04:33PM Karen Bradley tells colleagues to 'get behind the Prime Minister'

Karen Bradley tells colleagues to 'get behind the Prime Minister'

The Northern Ireland Secretary has met with senior business figures in Belfast in a bid to convince them of the merits of Theresa May's deal.

She said: "It's not easy, nobody ever said this would be easy, but the Cabinet has decided and those people who served very, very well as secretaries of state and ministers who have decided they can't support the deal, well quite rightly collective responsibility requires them to support the deal and therefore they have to leave Government.

"But the majority of the Cabinet is behind it, the remaining members of the Cabinet are absolutely behind this deal and what we need to do now is get behind the Prime Minister and get that deal sorted in the November (European) Council."

04:21PM Sir Vince Cable: No Brexit clearly on the table

Sir Vince Cable: No Brexit clearly on the table

The leader of the Liberal Democrats has responded to the comments made by Donald Tusk (see post at 15.54).

Sir Vince said: "Donald Tusk is right and it's good to see that 'No Brexit' is clearly on the table from the EU.

"Any sensible Government would be contingency planning for no Brexit, and I am pleased to see that the EU is now planning for it too.

"The PM too has acknowledged now that there is a choice between no Brexit and no deal if her plans fail.

"Recent events have shifted a People's Vote from being possible to becoming probable."

04:05PM Telegraph deputy political editor Steven Swinford's take on Cabinet latest

Telegraph deputy political editor Steven Swinford's take on Cabinet latest

04:03PM Nicola Sturgeon and Carwyn Jones demand Brexit meeting with PM

Nicola Sturgeon and Carwyn Jones demand Brexit meeting with PM

The Scottish first minister and her Welsh counterpart have written to the Prime Minister calling for an urgent meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee of leaders of the UK's constituent nations.

A copy of the letter read: "The UK Government's handling of the deal reached is symptomatic of the chaotic approach to the negotiations and the lack of any meaningful engagement with the devolved administrations."

Nicola Sturgeon credit: Peter Byrne/PA

It continued: "We continue to make the point at every opportunity that the UK Government cannot agree the UK's position on the Withdrawal Agreement or the future relationship with the EU27 without the input of the devolved administrations."

The letter added: "Given the future relationship will cover a number of matters within our devolved competence and crucial matters that will impact on the citizens of Wales and Scotland, it is essential we are involved."

03:59PM Tory MP urges colleagues to 'see off the ERG'

Tory MP urges colleagues to 'see off the ERG'

03:54PM Donald Tusk: 'We are best prepared for a no-Brexit scenario'

Donald Tusk: 'We are best prepared for a no-Brexit scenario'

The European Council president has appeared to express the hope that Brexit could still be averted.

"The EU is prepared for a final deal with the United Kingdom in November," he told a news conference in Brussels.

"We are also prepared for a no-deal scenario but of course we are best prepared for a no-Brexit scenario."

03:48PM Peter Bone: 'It's difficult to see the Prime Minister surviving'

Peter Bone: 'It's difficult to see the Prime Minister surviving'

03:37PM Prisons Minister apologises after claiming '80 per cent of voters back PM's deal'

Prisons Minister apologises after claiming '80 per cent of voters back PM's deal'

Rory Stewart claimed that “80 per cent of the British public support this deal”, before he was challenged by BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Emma Barnett, leading him to backtrack.

Mr Stewart said: "One of the advantages of this deal, to be honest, and the reason why 80 per cent of the British public support this deal, is because what it does...

Mrs Barnett said: "Eighty per cent of the British public support this deal? The draft deal? How on earth do we know that yet?"

Rory Stewart credit: Simon Dawson/Reuters

Mr Stewart said: "OK, let me [come] back on that. My sense is, sorry, let me get the language right on that, my sense is that if we have an opportunity to explain this, the vast majority of the British public would support this deal."

He then said he was "producing a number to try to illustrate what I believe" and then apologised.

03:26PM Remain-backing Tory MP resists leadership change

Remain-backing Tory MP resists leadership change

03:23PM Another Tory MP goes public with no confidence letter

Another Tory MP goes public with no confidence letter

03:15PM Michael Gove will only accept Brexit Secretary role if he can renegotiate PM's deal

Michael Gove will only accept Brexit Secretary role if he can renegotiate PM's deal

Big scoop from Steven Swinford, the Telegraph's deputy political editor.

He reports that the Environment Secretary will only accept the job of Brexit Secretary if he is given the chance to renegotiate the terms of Theresa May's deal with Brussels and the November EU summit is scrapped.

He is considering quitting Cabinet while weighing up an offer from the Prime Minister to become the new Brexit Secretary after his friend Dominic Raab quit the role this morning.

You can read the full story here.

03:01PM Tory vice chairman quits role over Brexit

Tory vice chairman quits role over Brexit

02:44PM Michael Gove's status still unclear

Michael Gove's status still unclear

02:41PM Sir Vince Cable: People's Vote more likely because of PM's draft Brexit deal

Sir Vince Cable: People's Vote more likely because of PM's draft Brexit deal

02:36PM Mark Carney 'ordered call with UK banks over Brexit market turbelance'

Mark Carney 'ordered call with UK banks over Brexit market turbelance'

Britain's biggest banks have reportedly been summoned for a call with City regulators over market turbulence after Government Brexit resignations sent the pound and stocks tumbling.

Bank of England governor Mark Carney personally ordered the call to be held between regulators and lenders, according to the Reuters report.

Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England credit: Reuters

It is understood major UK banks were asked for their feedback on the market reaction to the shock resignation of Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, which was followed shortly after by Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey.

A spokesman for the Financial Conduct Authority said: "As you would expect, in this type of situation, we have regular contact with firms and will continue to engage with them."

02:32PM Foreign Office Minister: Tories 'almost ungovernable'

Foreign Office Minister: Tories 'almost ungovernable'

Sir Alan Duncan has criticised Jacob Rees-Mogg for calling for a confidence vote in the PM, labelling the move "deeply destructive" for the Government and for the Conservative Party.

"If this Government is undermined further, we could destroy the Government, we could significantly damage and even destroy the Conservative Party," he told the BBC.

"This could lead us to being almost ungovernable for a bit."

02:29PM Brexit Minister: Raab and Davis did better than we ever thought possible

Brexit Minister: Raab and Davis did better than we ever thought possible

02:26PM Minister 'prepared to campaign for second referendum if Brexiteers kill PM's deal'

Minister 'prepared to campaign for second referendum if Brexiteers kill PM's deal'

02:20PM Former Brexit minister publishes no confidence letter

Former Brexit minister publishes no confidence letter

02:17PM Jacob Rees-Mogg: 'I'm not offering my name as leader'

Jacob Rees-Mogg: 'I'm not offering my name as leader'

02:11PM Chief Whip insists PM committed to Brexit deal

Chief Whip insists PM committed to Brexit deal

Julian Smith said the Prime Minister would not abandon the withdrawal agreement in the face of widespread opposition among MPs.

Leaving Downing Street, he told reporters: "The Prime Minister is moving things on in the best interests of the country.

"The Prime Minister will not be bullied and will not change course."

01:57PM Andrea Leadsom not quitting

Andrea Leadsom not quitting

The Commons Leader and Brexiteer had been tipped as one of the Cabinet ministers most likely to resign.

But she has now said she will be remaining in post: "I'm staying in government because there's more work to be done to get the Brexit the Prime Minister is determined to deliver for the people."

01:44PM Jacob Rees-Mogg: PM's deal is not Brexit

Jacob Rees-Mogg: PM's deal is not Brexit

The chairman of the European Research Group is now taking questions from reporters outside Parliament.

He says the Prime Minister's Brexit deal "does not meet what we promised our voters" because the Tory manifesto said the UK would leave the customs union.

"What has been achieved today is not Brexit," he says.

Mr Rees-Mogg says the PM's "deal risks Brexit because it is not a proper Brexit".

He then says: "I am not offering my name as leader. This is nothing to do with me."

01:38PM Tory MP: I am confident PM will not win confidence vote

Tory MP: I am confident PM will not win confidence vote

01:35PM Tory MP confirms he has submitted letter of no confidence in PM

Tory MP confirms he has submitted letter of no confidence in PM

01:33PM Former Brexit minister: We need a new leader

Former Brexit minister: We need a new leader

01:27PM Sir Graham Brady meets with Chief Whip

Sir Graham Brady meets with Chief Whip

01:25PM Jacob Rees-Mogg letter: Key quotes

Jacob Rees-Mogg letter: Key quotes

Mr Rees-Mogg says in his letter that he told the Chief Whip "a few weeks ago" he believed Mrs May should "stand aside".

He said: "Regrettably, the draft Withdrawal Agreement presented to Parliament today has turned out to be worse than anticipated and fails to meet the promises given to the nation by the Prime Minister, either on her own account or on behalf of us all in the Conservative Party manifesto."

Mr Rees-Mogg said it was of "considerable importance that politicians stick to their commitments or do not make such commitments in the first place".

01:21PM Jacob Rees-Mogg no confidence letter in full

Jacob Rees-Mogg no confidence letter in full

01:16PM Confirmed: Jacob Rees-Mogg has submitted his letter of no confidence

Confirmed: Jacob Rees-Mogg has submitted his letter of no confidence

12:57PM Jacob Rees-Mogg to submit letter of no confidence after ERG meeting

Jacob Rees-Mogg to submit letter of no confidence after ERG meeting

The European Research Group of Tory Eurosceptic MPs is meeting in Parliament right now. It should be lively.

This just in, confirming the chairman of the group will submit his letter of no confidence shortly.

12:50PM Penny Mordaunt seeing Theresa May this afternoon

Penny Mordaunt seeing Theresa May this afternoon

12:39PM Update: Total of six resignations from Government so far

Update: Total of six resignations from Government so far

12:36PM Sackings and resignations: How does Theresa May compare to other PMs?

Sackings and resignations: How does Theresa May compare to other PMs?

View more!

12:35PM Theresa May still answering questions in the Commons

Theresa May still answering questions in the Commons

The Prime Minister started her Brexit statement just after 10.30am this morning and she is still on her feet.

12:33PM Another Government aide quits: 'This is not taking back control'

Another Government aide quits: 'This is not taking back control'

12:31PM Latest on Sir Graham Brady and no confidence vote

Latest on Sir Graham Brady and no confidence vote

12:29PM Dominic Raab: PM's plan has two fatal flaws

Dominic Raab: PM's plan has two fatal flaws

The Brexit Secretary has been explaining his resignation.

He said he believed Theresa May should stay on as Prime Minister but change course over Brexit.

"I have been fighting for a good Brexit deal but the terms proposed to the Cabinet yesterday had two major and fatal flaws," he told the BBC.

"The first is that the terms being offered by the EU threaten the integrity of the UK.

"The second is that they would lead to an indefinite, if not permanent, situation where we are locked into a regime with no say over the rules and the laws being applied, with no exit mechanism.

"I think that will be damaging for the economy but devastating for public trust in our democracy."

He said he still respected the Prime Minister and held her in "high esteem" adding: "I think she should continue but I do think we need to change course on Brexit."

12:13PM Michael Gove offered job as Brexit Secretary

Michael Gove offered job as Brexit Secretary

12:03PM David Mundell attacks Dominic Raab over decision to quit

David Mundell attacks Dominic Raab over decision to quit

The Scottish Secretary has said he will not resign and attacked Mr Raab's decision to quit.

He said: "I'm not taking lessons on standing up for our United Kingdom from carpet baggers. Only a couple of years ago Dominic Raab was proposing to introduce a bill of rights into Scotland which would have over-ridden the Scottish legal system and devolution.

David Mundell credit: Jack Taylor /Getty Images Europe

"So I am not impressed by his latter day commitment to the Union. I am sure that this is more about maneuvering and leadership."

Mr Mundell said he is "not going to be bounced into resigning by carpet baggers".

11:58AM Dominic Raab 'told Chief Whip at end of Cabinet he intended to quit'

Dominic Raab 'told Chief Whip at end of Cabinet he intended to quit'

11:33AM Brexiteer claims 84 Tory MPs ready to vote down PM's deal

Brexiteer claims 84 Tory MPs ready to vote down PM's deal

11:29AM Sources: Jacob Rees-Mogg will put in letter of no confidence in PM

Sources: Jacob Rees-Mogg will put in letter of no confidence in PM

11:26AM Jacob Rees-Mogg asks PM why he shouldn't write a letter of no confidence

Jacob Rees-Mogg asks PM why he shouldn't write a letter of no confidence

Mr Rees-Mogg, chairman of the European Research Group, highlighted areas of the deal where he said the "honourable" Prime Minister had reneged on promises over leaving the customs union, maintaining the internal integrity of the UK and leaving the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

He told MPs: "As what my right honourable friend says and what my right honourable friend does no longer match, should I not write to my right honourable friend the member for Altrincham and Sale West?"

This was a reference to Sir Graham Brady MP, the chairman of the Tory 1922 committee, to whom MPs must write to express no confidence in a leader in order to trigger a challenge.

Mrs May replied that "some difficult choices have had to be made" to avoid a hard border on Ireland, adding: "It is not only our intention, but we will be working to ensure that protocol does not have to be put into place."

11:18AM Nigel Dodd launches attack on Theresa May and claims PM 'clearly doesn't listen'

Nigel Dodd launches attack on Theresa May and claims PM 'clearly doesn't listen'

The Westminster leader of the DUP is very unhappy with the Prime Minister's deal as relations between his party and the Government he agreed to prop up sink to a new low.

Mr Dodds says: "I could today stand here and take the Prime Minister through the list of promises and pledges that she made to this House and to us privately about the future of Northern Ireland in the future relationship with the EU but I fear it would be a waste of time since she clearly doesn't listen."

He says MPs must choose between "subjection to the rules and laws of others who may not have our interests at heart" or to "stand up for the whole of the United Kingdom... or we vote for a vassal state with the break up of the Unioted Kingdom".

11:08AM Iain Duncan Smith grills Theresa May over backstop concerns

Iain Duncan Smith grills Theresa May over backstop concerns

The former Tory leader tells the Prime Minister that "we are locking ourselves into an arrangement" in the shape of the backstop that the UK will not have the "sovereign right" to leave unilaterally.

Mrs May says she recognises concerns about the backstop but she says it "is not necessarily what will happen" because the UK hopes to have finalised future arrangements with the EU before the end of transition.

She also says "there is a mechanism for coming out of the backstop" but admits it requires "mutual consent" from the UK and the EU.

She says she will work to ensure "such an arrangement is not necessary".

10:48AM Andrea Leadsom and Penny Mordaunt on the frontbench

Andrea Leadsom and Penny Mordaunt on the frontbench

10:46AM Chief Whip: PM will not be bullied and will not change course

Chief Whip: PM will not be bullied and will not change course

Julian Smith spoke to Sky News earlier this morning. He said the Prime Minister will not be "bullied".

Here's the full quote: "Look we’ve got a deal and that’s the most important thing. The Prime Minister has done a brilliant job with the negotiating team, got a November council, hopefully, and we’re moving things on in the best interests of the country, for families, for jobs, for frictionless trade, and delivering on the commitments she made during the referendum.

"Look it’s a very, very major the decision the Cabinet took yesterday, not everybody is going to agree with it.

"The Prime Minister will not be bullied and will not change course."

10:44AM Jeremy Corbyn: Brexit deal does not meet our six tests

Jeremy Corbyn: Brexit deal does not meet our six tests

The Labour leader is now replying to Mrs May in the House of Commons.

He accuses the Government of overseeing two years of "bungled" negotiations as he tells MPs the deal "does not meet our six tests".

He says: "The Government is in chaos. Their deal risks leaving the country in an indefinite halfway house without a real say.

"When even the last Brexit Secretary, who theoretically at least negotiated the deal, says 'I cannot support the proposed deal', what faith does that give anyone else in this place or in this country?

"The Government simply cannot put to Parliament this half-baked deal that both the Brexit Secretary and his predecessor have rejected.

"No deal is not a real option and the Government has not seriously prepared for it."

Worth remembering: Labour has said that it will not back a deal that does not meet the party's six tests, so that's that.

10:42AM Theresa May: The British people want us to get this done

Theresa May: The British people want us to get this done

The Prime Minister says the future deal with the EU will "end free movement once and for all".

She says "no other advanced economy" will have as strong a relationship with the EU as the UK will have once the deal is done.

Mrs May says that when she became PM in 2016 many people said Brexit could not be done.

She says she has worked day and night to deliver on the result of the EU referendum and that the negotiations have been "complex" and have "required hard work".

She admits it has been a "frustrating process" before telling MPs: "The British people want us to get this done."

Mrs May says: "The choice is clear. We can choose to leave with no deal. We can risk no Brexit at all or we can choose to unite and support the best deal that can be negotiated. This deal."

10:37AM Theresa May mocked by MPs

Theresa May mocked by MPs

10:35AM Theresa May admits Brexit has not been 'comfortable process'

Theresa May admits Brexit has not been 'comfortable process'

The Prime Minister is now on her feet in the House of Commons as she sets out her Brexit deal to MPs.

She says what was agreed on Wednesday was "not the final deal, it is a draft treaty" and that it would ensure the UK takes back control of its borders, laws and money.

Mrs May says the deal sets the UK up for a "more ambitious free trade agreement than the EU has with any other country".

Mrs May says she will not "pretend" that Brexit negotiations have been a "comfortable process".

As the Prime Minister speaks, all eyes are on the Government front bench. Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, and Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, are both there but Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, is not.

His absence is likely to set hares running.

10:26AM Government aide quits over Brexit deal

Government aide quits over Brexit deal

10:20AM Brexit minister quits

Brexit minister quits

10:08AM Esther McVey: Deal does not honour EU referendum result

Esther McVey: Deal does not honour EU referendum result

The key line from the former work and pensions secretary's letter to the PM: "The deal you put before the Cabinet yesterday does not honour the result of the referendum.

"Indeed, it doesn't meet the tests you set from the outset of your premiership."

You can read the full story of her resignation here.

09:59AM Esther McVey quits the Cabinet

Esther McVey quits the Cabinet

09:54AM Sir Vince Cable: The Government is in meltdown

Sir Vince Cable: The Government is in meltdown

The leader of the Liberal Democrats said: "The Government started Britain on a journey with no actual idea of their route or their destination.

"The Conservative Government is in meltdown and it's clear the Conservatives are now driving the country off a cliff.

"The Tories are finally realising what we have always known. There is no way to prevent Brexit from leaving our country worse off.

"A People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, where they can choose to remain in the EU, is the only route out of this uncertainty. It is time people had the power to end this mess."

09:48AM Downing Street adviser quits

Downing Street adviser quits

09:46AM Theresa May's Cabinet losses in full

Theresa May's Cabinet losses in full

View more!

09:44AM Tory MP submits letter of no confidence to 1922 Committee

Tory MP submits letter of no confidence to 1922 Committee

09:36AM Reaction to Dominic Raab's resignation

Reaction to Dominic Raab's resignation

09:30AM Sir Keir Starmer: Deal is a 'miserable failure of negotiation'

Sir Keir Starmer: Deal is a 'miserable failure of negotiation'

09:27AM Pound falls after Brexit Secretary quits

Pound falls after Brexit Secretary quits

The pound has fallen heavily against most major currencies after Dominic Raab's decision to resign.

Sterling dropped 1.1 per cent to 1.28 US dollars and was 1.2 per cent lower at 1.13 euros.

09:21AM Nigel Dodds praises Dominic Raab

Nigel Dodds praises Dominic Raab

09:16AM Labour responds to resignation of Dominic Raab

Labour responds to resignation of Dominic Raab

Jon Trickett, shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said: "The Government is falling apart before our eyes as for a second time the Brexit Secretary has refused to back the Prime Minister's Brexit plan. This so-called deal has unravelled before our eyes.

"This is the twentieth Minister to resign from Theresa May’s Government in her two year premiership. Theresa May has no authority left and is clearly incapable of delivering a Brexit deal that commands even the support of her Cabinet - let alone Parliament and the people of our country."

09:12AM Dominic Raab: I cannot reconcile deal with promises we made the country

Dominic Raab: I cannot reconcile deal with promises we made the country

The second resignation of the day is a big one as Mr Raab decides he cannot back the Brexit deal.

The key passage from his letter to the PM is this: "For my part, I cannot support the proposed deal for two reasons. First I believe that the regulatory regime proposed for Northern Ireland presents a very real threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom.

"Second, I cannot support an indefinite backstop arrangement, where the EU holds a veto over our ability to exit."

He added: "Above all, I cannot reconcile the terms of the proposed deal with the promises we made to the country in our manifesto at the last election. This is, at its heart, a matter of public trust."

09:05AM Dominic Raab resigns as Brexit Secretary

Dominic Raab resigns as Brexit Secretary

08:49AM Confirmed: Theresa May to deliver Brexit statement to Commons

Confirmed: Theresa May to deliver Brexit statement to Commons

08:47AM How Tory MPs could oust Theresa May

How Tory MPs could oust Theresa May

There is lots of talk in Westminster this morning about a potential move by Eurosceptic Conservative MPs to spark a vote of confidence in the PM.

In order to trigger such a vote, 15 per cent of Tory MPs must write to the chairman of the 1922 Committee, chaired by Sir Graham Brady.

At the moment that means the magic number is 48.

You can read a full breakdown of how the process works here.

Theresa May, the Prime Minister credit: Stefan Rousseau/PA

08:42AM Brexit: The view from Germany

Brexit: The view from Germany

Justin Huggler, the Telegraph's Berlin correspondent, reports:

Brexit does not dominate the headlines in Germany to the extent you might expect. It failed to make the front page of Bild, the country's highest-selling newspaper, which runs an inside headline of "Round one in Brexit thriller" and asks: "Will the Brexit hardliners go to the barricades?"

Brexit does make the front page of the influential Süddeutsche Zeitung with the headline: "May clears important Brexit hurdle". In a guest editorial, Günter Verheugen, the former German European commissioner, offers an olive branch to the UK over free trade. "In its policy towards third countries, the EU is always interested in full free trade. Just think of Canada or Japan," he writes. "Why should one deny Britain something that is granted to other, if not all, third countries?

But Welt newspaper paints a gloomy picture of Britain's future. Under a front page headline of "Brexit is not the only problem", the paper says the UK faces "multiple economic problems, including persistently low productivity growth, high public debt, rising spending with an aging of society, and a large current account deficit".

The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung's front page headline is a dry "British cabinet agrees Brexit deal". Inside, the paper focuses on the drama of yesterday's cabinet talks in a lengthy piece under the headline "The last judgement is gracious" but warns: "In the end, parliamentary rules of procedure could determine whether the UK leaves the EU in an orderly or disorderly way, and whether it comes to new elections or even a new referendum".

A comment piece under a headline of "Fog on the Thames" ponders what David Cameron must think of the outcome of his decision to hold a referendum. "He wanted to clarify once and for all the perennial topic of British politics and the Conservative Party: Europe. But the opposite has happened, the paper notes. "The Brexit ultras are different. They prefer to get excited about possible compromises and use a combat and victim vocabulary that includes prhases such as 'vassal state' and 'capitulation'."

German politicians across the spectrum have so far stuck rigidly to the position that Brexit negotiations are being handled by the European Commission and declined to comment, leaving FAZ to report: "The Brexit draft is well received in Brussels."

Business leaders have been more forthcoming. "After agreement on a Brexit deal, we are cautiously optimistic a disorderly exit can still be averted," Holger Bingmann, president of the German foreign trade association (BGA), said.

But the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry warned that businesses are still facing uncertainty. "It's high time for companies to know what they need to prepare for," , Eric Schweitzer, the head of the chamber said. "The British government should make the path towards an ordely Brexit clear and credible and avert the worst case scenario. Brexit in any form will lead to higher costs for business. An unregulated Brexit would be a disaster."

08:39AM Matt Hancock refuses to deny 'fatal' no deal comments

Matt Hancock refuses to deny 'fatal' no deal comments

Mr Hancock is asked about comments he reportedly made to the Cabinet on Wednesday relating to the consequences of a no deal Brexit.

He apparently warned his fellow Cabinet ministers that a no deal divorce would ultimately cost people's lives.

Mr Hancock refused to deny that he made the remarks, telling the BBC: "I am not going to go into what anybody said and that includes me but what I will say on that is we need to make sure that everybody does what is necessary if there is no deal to have the unhindered flow of medicines that people need and there is a lot of work that we need to do and we are doing."

Matt Hancock credit: Simon Dawson /Bloomberg

Pushed again on the matter, he said: "It is very important that we get it right.

"But crucially for the purposes of this deal and the value of this deal that has been proposed, no deal is not pretty, it is very difficult for the economy and for lots of other areas like healthcare that I have mentioned.

"A second referendum would be divisive but would not be decisive and I think given all of the pain of the last few years in British politics and the angst that it has caused, a second referendum would be even worse.

"Now we have a deal on the table."

08:22AM Matt Hancock defends PM's Brexit deal but admits: 'It is not perfect'

Matt Hancock defends PM's Brexit deal but admits: 'It is not perfect'

The Health Secretary has been sent out by the Government to defend Theresa May's Brexit deal this morning.

He tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the deal will allow the UK to "take back control of our laws and our money" while also keeping trading relations with the EU.

He says that "of course there are going to be details that are compromises and it is not perfect" but the agreement ultimately allows the Government to honour the EU referendum result.

He says: "You have got to look at the deal as a whole. That's what the Cabinet did."

Asked if he expects members of the Cabinet to quit over the deal, he says: "I very much hope not."

Mr Hancock also responds to claims that the UK will not be able to unilaterally quit the backstop.

"I don't think that is true," he says.

08:18AM Shailesh Vara savages PM's Brexit deal

Shailesh Vara savages PM's Brexit deal

The former minister is now on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He says: "I quit because I don't believe that this is the right agreement for our country."

Mr Vara says the UK had "caved in" to EU demands on the Irish border backstop and as a result the UK could be tied to the bloc long into the future.

"We could be locked in for many, many years," he says.

07:58AM Shailesh Vara says 'people of the UK deserve better' than PM's Brexit deal

Shailesh Vara says 'people of the UK deserve better' than PM's Brexit deal

A terrible start to the morning after the night before for the Prime Minister as one of her ministers quits the Government.

Shailesh Vara, a Northern Ireland Minister, has sent his letter of resignation to Theresa May and in it he savages her Brexit plan.

He said: “The EU referendum offered a simple choice - to either stay in or leave the EU. The result was decisive with the UK public voting to leave and that is what we, their elected representatives, must deliver.

Shailesh Vara credit: UK Parliament

“The agreement put forward however, does not do that as it leaves the UK in a half-way house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation.”

Mr Vara also said the "people of the UK deserve better" than what Mrs May had put forward.

He added: “We are a proud nation and it is a sad day when we are reduced to obeying rules made by other countries who have shown that they do not have our best interests at heart.

“We can and must do better than this."

07:37AM Minister quits over Brexit deal

Minister quits over Brexit deal

07:29AM Donald Tusk: Brexit deal is about damage control

Donald Tusk: Brexit deal is about damage control

Mr Tusk, the president of the EU council, tells reporters he does not share Theresa May's "enthusiasm for Brexit".

"Brexit is a lose-lose situation and this is about damage control," he says.

Mr Tusk now sets out what will happen in the next few weeks.

He says that as long as "nothing extraordinary happens" an EU summit will be held on Sunday November 25 at 9.30am.

He then closes by saying: "As much as I am sad to see you leave, I will do everything to make this farewell the least painful possible for you and for us."

Mr Tusk and Mr Barnier do not take any questions.

07:25AM Michel Barnier: Brexit deal is fair and balanced

Michel Barnier: Brexit deal is fair and balanced

Mr Barnier is giving a press statement with Donald Tusk in Brussels.

He describes the Brexit deal as a "complete agreement" and "what we have agreed... is fair and balanced".

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator says the deal will avoid a hard Irish border and insists the agreement "lays the ground for an ambitious new partnership".

"We still have a long road ahead of us on both sides," Mr Barnier says.

"We have no time to lose."

07:21AM Minister 'to quit this morning over PM's Brexit deal'

Minister 'to quit this morning over PM's Brexit deal'

07:03AM Starmer attacks deal as 'miserable failure'

Starmer attacks deal as 'miserable failure'

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer has told Good Morning Britain Mars May's deal was a "miserable failure of negotiation" and it was a "second-rate document".

He told the ITV programme:

"It's a chaotic ending and the root cause is the utter division on the Conservative benches."

06:58AM What Theresa May promised - and what she delivered

What Theresa May promised - and what she delivered

In the course of the Brexit negotiations the Prime Minister made a series of assertions and promises about the Brexit deal.

In speeches delivered over the past year and a half, she repeatedly vowed to “take back control of our borders, laws and money.”

Here we measure the deal published on Wednesday against Mrs May’s promises.

06:54AM How the media reacted

How the media reacted

Theresa May's draft Brexit deal is splashed across the front pages of newspapers in the UK, Ireland and across Europe on Thursday.

But views of the deal vary differently.

View more!

06:32AM Good morning

Good morning

As another busy day in Whitehall begins, the day's action is set to kick off in Brussels, where Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, and European Council president, Donald Tusk, are expected to make a joint press statement on Mrs May's Brexit deal.

It is likely they will confirm the date for the next European Council summit as November 25.

The press conference is believed to begin at 7.10am UK time.