A Brexiteer coup against Theresa May appeared to have stalled today - as leading Tory rebel Steve Baker admitted some MPs have lied about backing the coup.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said those seeking to oust the Prime Minister risked causing 'the most appalling chaos' and damaging any chance of prosperity after Brexit.

'Seeking to remove her risks the most appalling chaos that could be immensely damaging to our national reputation, but also destabilising and potentially stopping us getting through to the other side of Brexit,' he said.

'That is why when people think about this, people will realise that backing her is the right thing to do.'

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (left), pictured on a visit to Iran on Monday, slammed those seeking to depose Mrs May

Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith (pictured today with Lord Trimble Tory peer Lord Lilley and Conservative MP Owen Paterson) led a Brexiteer delegation to No10 where he pleaded with the PM to tear up her divorce deal and go back to the negotiating table

'It is incredibly challenging,' he said of the Prime Minister's current task.

'Somehow she has to find a way of navigating the shoals of Brexit in a way that allows us to have national closure on the issue and move on and deal with all the other issues we face.'

It came as ex Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith led a Brexiteer delegation to No10 where he pleaded with the PM to tear up her divorce deal and go back to the negotiating table.

He was joined by Lord Trimble, the former First Minister of Northern Ireland, Tory peer Lord Lilley and Conservative MP Owen Paterson.

They urged the PM to abandon the Irish backstop plan to keep the UK tied to the EU customs union, and instead use technology to keep the border soft instead.

It came amid growing signs the Tory Brexit coup is fizzling out amid bitter recriminations among Eurosecptic MPs.

Just 26 Tory MPs have publicly said they have sent their letters of no confidence in - far short of the 48 needed to trigger the ballot.

The Tory Brexit delegation (meeting with David Trimble, Ian Duncan Smith and Owen Patterson leaving Downing Street in London) met he PM came amid growing signs the Tory Brexit coup is fizzling out amid bitter recriminations among Eurosecptic MPs

Still 'eight letters short: Leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg is pictured in Westminster today amid claims his coup attempt is foundering. Former chief whip Andrew Mitchell today warned the rebels against 'hunting' Mrs May down like Margaret Thatcher.

And the Brexiteer organiser-in-chief Mr Baker accused Tory MPs of lying over their intention to send letters in.

Mr Baker told The Sun: 'If everyone does what they've told me, the line will be crossed by a big margin on Monday evening'

'However, it has become very very clear that not everyone does what they've said they're going to do.'

He added: 'Conservative members of parliament who have decided that the only way to change the policy is to change the leader must have the courage and integrity to write the letter themselves. Simply telling me they're going to obviously isn't good enough.'

A source close to the gang of four said the meeting was 'constructive' while Mrs May's official spokesman said: 'The PM meets with colleagues all the time.'

Meanwhile, Westminster echoed to silence from Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee who must call a vote if 48 letters are sent to him.

The plotters are believed to be at least eight short of the trigger despite ringleader Jacob Rees-Mogg going public with his putsch over the PM's Brexit deal last week.

ERG sources insisted it was a question of 'when not if' the threshold is met.

But a senior Tory MP told MailOnline: 'Jacob is going to have a lot of egg on his face. If they cannot even get 48 names together it shows they are not the force people thought.

'They are a total shambles.'

Another MP warned the ERG: 'For 5 weeks we have been told the letters are in yet still they fall short.

'If it's taken this long to get to 48 the chances of reaching the required 158 to depose the PM are receding fast.'

Who has sent letters of no confidence in May? Letters of no confidence in Theresa May are confidential - but some of her strongest critics have gone public. If 48 letters are sent a vote is called. This is who has definitely sent a letter: Jacob Rees-Mogg , North East Somerset, Jacob.reesmogg.mp@parliament.uk Steve Baker , Wycombe, steve.baker.mp@parliament.uk Sheryll Murray , South East Cornwall, sheryll.murray.mp@parliament.uk Anne-Marie Morris , Newton Abbott, annemarie.morris.mp@parliament.uk Lee Rowley , North East Derbyshire, lee.rowley.mp@parliament.uk Henry Smith , Crawley, henry.smith.mp@parliament.uk Simon Clarke , Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, simon.clarke.mp@parliament.uk Peter Bone , Wellingborough, bonep@parliament.uk James Duddridge , Rochford and Southend East, james@jamesduddridge.com Philip Davies , Shipley, daviesp@parliament.uk Andrea Jenkyns , Morley and Outwood, andrea.jenkyns.mp@parliament.uk Andrew Bridgen , North West Leicestershire, andrew.bridgen.mp@parliament.uk Nadine Dorries , Mid Bedfordshire, dorriesn@parliament.uk Laurence Robertson , Tewkesbury, robertsonl@parliament.uk Martin Vickers , Cleethorpes, martin.vickers.mp@parliament.uk Ben Bradley , Mansfield, ben.bradley.mp@parliament.uk Adam Holloway , Gravesham, hollowaya@parliament.uk John Whittingdale , Maldon, john.whittingdale.mp@parliament.uk Maria Caulfield , Lewes, maria.caulfield.mp@parliament.uk Mark Francois , Rayleigh and Wickford, mark.francois.mp@parliament.uk David Jones , Clwyd West, david.jones@parliament.uk Marcus Fysh , Yeovil, marcus.fysh.mp@parliament.uk Chris Green , Bolton West, chris.green.mp@parliament.uk Zac Goldsmith , Richmond Park, zac@zacgoldsmith.com Bill Cash , Stone, cashw@parliament.uk Philip Hollobone , Kettering, philip.hollobone.mp@parliament.uk Andrew Lewer, Northampton South, andrew.lewer.mp@parliament.uk Crispin Blunt , Reigate, crispinbluntmp@parliament.uk Owen Paterson , Shropshire Patersono@parliament.uk Advertisement

Simon Clarke - who is among the 26 Tory MPs to have gone public with demands for a vote of no confidence - earlier urged Conservatives to help oust the PM claiming she is 'on the rocks'.

The PM is facing a titanic political battle to cling on to power, and former chief whip Andrew Mitchell today urged the rebels to back off from the ledge, warning them against 'hunting' Mrs May down like Margaret Thatcher.

Issuing his rallying call, Clarke urged wavering colleagues to help trigger a leadership challenge.

'It is quite clear to me that the captain is driving the ship at the rocks,' he said.

'This is absolutely the day at which we stand at the bar of history on this,' Simon Clarke told the BBC, adding 'this day must be the point at which ... action is taken'.

He added that MPs should 'search their conscience' and submit a letter to the 1922 Committee.

Mrs Thatcher's 11 and a half years in power came crashing down in 1990 when she was abruptly ousted from office in a coup triggered by Michael Heseltine, who mounted a leadership challenged against her.

She was not ousted in the first round, but her Cabinet ministers ended up wielding the knife – going in one by one to urge her to go resign. Advice Mrs Thatcher ultimately took.

And today's rebel MPs believe they are close to landing their own killer blow.

Former Brexit secretary David Davis insisted the coup was 'teetering close to getting over the 48' but dodged questions over whether he had joined the revolt.

But doubts about the level of support for the revolt have already been raised by the length of time it is taking - with most observers believing the plotters are eight letters short.

Despite leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg dramatically announcing he was joining the calls last week, Sir Graham said yesterday that he had not received enough.

There are signs of growing nerves among the rebels as constituency associations urge their MPs not to torpedo the package.

Senior Eurosceptics have also admitted that some of their colleagues do not seem to be telling them the truth about whether they have written letters.

Meanwhile, Tory figures have tried to head off the mutiny, with former chief whip Andrew Mitchell warning that the party would sustain massive damage if they were seen to 'hunt her down' as happened to Margaret Thatcher.

Mrs May will vow defiance today as she faces down restive Cabinet ministers and MPs.

She is facing a nail-biting next 48 hours to see if the Tory Brexiteer coup against her gains momentum or falls flat.

Sir Graham is the only Conservative who knows how many MPs have sent their letters in, and the number is shrouded in such secrecy he has not even told his wife Victoria what it is.

He also revealed that some MPs lie and pretend to send their no confidence letters in when they have not - although he did not say if this applied to the rebels trying to oust Mrs May.

And despite the bitter Tory civil war in Westminster, he predicted that Mrs May would win a no confidence vote if one is held against her.

Speaking on the North West edition of the BBC's Sunday Politics programme, he predicted Mrs May will not be easily toppled.

'Leadership challenge' to May has chilling echoes of the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher was evicted from Downing Street after 11 and a half years when she failed to win enough support from her MPs. Michael Heseltine launched a leadership challenge against her in November 1990. While the PM won the first round, a critical mass of her MPs voted against her - prompting her Cabinet to warn she no longer had the political strength to carry on. The 28th anniversary of the fatal second ballot comes tomorrow - November 20. Today's rebel MPs believe they are close to landing their own killer blow in the same way. If they secure a confidence vote, they are likely to insist 100 votes against the PM should be enough to finish her. Advertisement

He said: 'It would be a simple majority, it would be very likely that the Prime Minister would win such a vote and if she did then there would be a 12-month period where this could not happen again, which would be a huge relief for me because people would have to stop asking me questions about numbers of letters for at least 12 months.'

Confirming he had not reached the crucial 48 number, he told Pienaar's Politics on BBC Radio 5 Live: 'If a threshold were to be reached I would have to consult with the leader of the party the Prime Minister.'

Pressed on if this would have to happen immediately, he added: 'The whole thing is written with the intention that it should be an expeditious process.

'I think one of the crazy things which has taken hold over the last few weeks is that people in the media and elsewhere suggesting this is something that would go on for weeks.

'If it were to happen it ought to be a test of opinion very quickly in order to clear the air and get it out the way quickly.'

He said claims he would sit on the letters and wait to hold a vote are 'slightly offensive'.

Sir Graham said has not written a letter of no confidence himself and has 'no intention to do so'.

The Tory MP for Altrincham and Sale West said Britain is entering the 'end game' of a crucial negotiation and it is not the right time for the Tory Party and Government to be 'plunged into uncertainty'.

Mr Mitchell told the Times: 'If these letters succeed in triggering a challenge then the party will turn in on itself and that is not a good place for the Conservatives let alone the country.

'It will end making us look like we're hunting the prime minister down as happened with Margaret Thatcher.

'It will do the party untold damage in the eyes of the public.'

But he criticised the PM's Brexit divorce deal, branding it 'tricky' and said he is 'not happy' about the backstop plans warning it could leave Britain trapped in the EU customs union forever.

The Prime Minister is mounting another robust defence of the package thrashed out with Brussels despite the rising threat of a no-confidence vote by her own MPs.

Moving to quell calls from within Cabinet for the deal to be renegotiated, Mrs May will make clear that there is no prospect of reopening the talks.

After many days of fevered speculation, Sir Graham Brady (pictured yesterday on the BBC), chairman of the 1922 committee which represents Tory MPs, said yesterday he has still not received enough letters to trigger a confidence vote in Theresa May