Protesters outside the gates of Downing Street make their feelings about the Chequers agreement known. Brexit-supporting MPs have given Theresa May two months to drop the plan before considering a leadership contest

Theresa May has until November to ditch the Chequers deal before Brexiteers would consider ousting her, senior Conservative figures have claimed.

The Brexiteers have in effect ruled out a leadership challenge at the Tory conference. They are happy for the prime minister to stay in post beyond March if she embraces a Canada-style free-trade deal rather than force through her existing plan, which keeps Britain more closely tied to the EU.

Brexiteers accept that Mrs May will defend her plan at the conference but those in favour of getting rid of the Tory leader believe that her continued support for Chequers will make her toxic in the eyes of party activists. Tory MPs who support Brexit believe that the Chequers blueprint will be undermined by