The Attorney General allegedly told Cabinet ministers that Theresa May must be "removed" from office after Brexit so others can "take over" and renegotiate her deal, The Telegraph has learned.

During a conference call with Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid and Michael Gove, Geoffrey Cox is said to have told ministers that they should "swallow" the Prime Minister's deal for now.

Three sources told The Telegraph that he then allegedly suggested during the weekend call that the Prime Minister "would need to be removed for quarter one [April of next year] so we can take over the next stage".

It was claimed that Mr Cox has made similar comments on more than one occasion. A spokesman for Mr Cox said: "The Attorney General firmly denies any suggestion that he called for the PM to be removed. ‎This is completely untrue."

It comes as the Prime Minister is this week fighting for her political life after being forced to pull a Commons vote on her Brexit deal and returning empty-handed after a trip to Brussels.

Mr Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, on Sunday became the Cabinet first minister to publicly admit that he would like a "crack" at the Tory leadership as he indicated he is prepared to support a "managed no-deal" Brexit.

Mr Javid, the Home Secretary, and Andrea Leadsom, the Leader of the Commons are also said to be positioning themselves for the race to succeed Mrs May.

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David Davis and Dominic Raab, former Brexit secretaries, are also said to be weighing up leadership bids in the event the Prime Minister resigns along with Boris Johnson, the former Foreign Secretary.

Mr Cox is said to have made the comments during a conference call on Sunday, November 11, days before the pivotal Cabinet meeting at which ministers signed off the Prime Minister's deal.

It led to the resignation of Dominic Raab, the then Brexit Secretary who was also on the call, and Esther McVey, the former Work and Pensions Secretary.

One source told The Telegraph that Mr Cox argued that failing to back the deal now would provoke a "constitutional crisis" but that it could be "reset" in the second part of negotiations.

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Another source said Mr Cox went on to use a football analogy during the call. He is reported to have said: "We lose the first half but live to fight the second if we replace the coach".

Other ministers on the call were said to be "surprised" by Mr Cox's comments, and argued that "what we decide in the first half will dictate how we go in the second".

They warned that the customs backstop, which will tie the UK to the Customs Union in the event of a deal cannot be reached, will "screw" the UK.

A third source confirmed the account and said Mr Cox has made the suggestion that Mrs May should be removed on more than one occasion. However, a source close to Mr Cox denied "entirely" he had made the comments.

During the call Mr Hunt is said to have warned the deal would not get through Parliament and the Prime Minister had to "fight for something better".

Mr Gove replied that the Prime Minister "won't listen", while Mr Javid is said to have insisted the Cabinet "wouldn't accept a backstop we couldn't get out of".

Mr Cox, a Eurosceptic, rose to prominence earlier this year after delivering an impassioned warm-up speech for the Prime Minister at Conservative Party conference.

His was at the centre of a furious row after the Government was forced by Parliament to publish his legal advice on the Prime Minister's Brexit deal. He concluded that the UK could be trapped in the customs union "indefinitely".