A senior Government minister has approached The Independent Group of MPs, it has emerged, as three more Conservative MPs face no confidence votes by their local parties which could end their political careers.

The unnamed Minister of State wrote a letter to a senior member of the group saying they "agreed with everything you have done" opening the possibility of a hugely damaging defection away from the Conservative party.

The fact that a serving minister wrote to the group demonstrates the level of trust with its key figures – and the disaffection felt by senior members of the Government over its Brexit policy.

Separately, The Daily Telegraph can disclose that three Tory MPs Dame Caroline Spelman, Dominic Grieve and Mark Pawsey are facing no confidence motions at their party's annual meetings over the next four weeks.

The votes are being forced on the local associations by party activists who are furious at the way some Tory MPs are trying to water down Brexit and betraying a manifesto promise to leave the single market and customs union.