Esther McVey has suggested she will sack any Remainers in the Cabinet in a purge over Brexit.

The Tory leadership contender announced she would have no Remainers in her Cabinet "for the time being" if she becomes Prime Minister, to "make sure" Brexit happens on time.

She would then "absolutely" review her restriction on Remainers after October 31.

Ms McVey did not make clear whether she was referring to people who voted Remain in 2016 - which many ministers did - or people who are still Remainers now, a smaller number that's subjective depending on what you class as a 'remainer'.

However, her comments suggest the most pro-EU Cabinet ministers such as Philip Hammond, David Gauke, Matt Hancock and Rory Stewart face an uncertain future if she wins the Tory leadership race.

They and other ministers, while supporting Theresa May's Brexit plan, have also argued for a softer Brexit and said the UK should avoid crashing out with no deal.

(Image: PA)

Ms McVey - who is an outsider in the 11-candidate race for next Prime Minister - made the comments in an interview with LBC Radio.

Asked if she would have any Remainers in her Cabinet, she said: "I believe at the moment we actually have to have a team that believes in Brexit.

"And they have to because this is the most difficult delivery that we have got to give and we have got to give it by October 31.

"I think you need to have people who believe in Brexit to deliver this by October 31."

Asked to clarify that meant she'd have no Remainers in her Cabinet, she said: "For the time being, to make sure we get this through, yes".

(Image: LBC /Youtube)

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She also told LBC: "You now have to choose a side and the only fair thing to do is choose the side that won the referendum."

Ms McVey has vowed to leave the EU, deal or no deal, on the current date of October 31.

Like her hard Brexiteer rival Andrea Leadsom,the former Cabinet minister has said Britain should prepare for leaving without an agreement.

She previously described no deal as a "clean Brexit" and yold the Telegraph: "Nigel Farage is a tour de force. He has changed the narrative. He has caught the mood of the moment."

Ms McVey quit as Work and Pensions Secretary in protest at Theresa May's Brexit plans.

Her approach was in stark contrast to soft Brexit-backing leadership rival Matt Hancock, who today warned no deal was "not a credible option".

In a speech at the think tank Policy Exchange, he urged the Conservative Party to seize the opportunity of moving to the centre ground.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

He rejected Boris Johnson's warning that his party faces "extinction" if it doesn't deliver Brexit and instead said it was important not to be "defined by Brexit".

He said it was important to improve living standards and people have more money in their account at the end of the month and that public services are properly funded.

He said: "There is a huge opportunity, need and a duty on the Conservative Party to get this right to deliver on Brexit but not be defined by Brexit then go on and concentrate on all the bread and butter issues that really matter to people."

"I think this is a serious point for all political parties and both major parties in British politics.

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"We are at an incredibly important point in the politics of our nation because the need for a progressive, optimistic, centrist force in British politics has never been greater. The opportunity for a Conservative Party that dominates the centre ground and that delivers on the things that matters for people making sure we have.

"The opportunity for a party that stands for these things is enormous because the other major parties have left that ground and are concentrating on the hard left in the case of Labour and rejecting the referendum in the case of the Lib Dems."