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A gang of 12 Tory MPs are threatening to bring down Boris Johnson's government if he chases a No Deal Brexit .

A pro-EU minister issued the threat today as fears mount that the new PM will face a no-confidence vote within days of taking office.

It comes after it emerged Tory whips have been war-gaming a situation where Tory MPs help vote out the government.

Now Tobias Ellwood, a Defence Minister, has suggested as many as 12 Tory MPs could join such a no-confidence vote - if the next PM is hell-bent on a No Deal Brexit.

If so, that would be enough to topple the government and force a general election automatically 14 days later.

On the possibility of some Tory MPs supporting the so-called "nuclear option", Mr Ellwood told the BBC: "I believe that absolutely is the case.

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(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX)

"I think a dozen or so members of parliament would be on our side, would be voting against supporting a no-deal and that would include ministers as well as backbenchers."

The threat raises fresh questions about the Brexit plan of Boris Johnson - who's still the frontrunner for Prime Minister.

Mr Johnson previously said under his leadership, Britain will leave the EU on October 31, deal or no deal.

And in a Daily Telegraph column today he wrote: "We must leave the EU on Oct 31 come what may.

"We are just over four months away from the date on which, by law, we must leave the EU; and this time we are not going to bottle it. We are not going to fail.

"This time we are not going to shrink in fear from the exit, as we have on the last two occasions."

(Image: Getty Images)

But for all his flowery words, Mr Johnson has been accused of failing to give a cast-iron guarantee of Brexit on October 31.

Instead he told a BBC debate it "must" happen by Halloween and it was "eminently feasible".

That leaves questions about the timing of a no-confidence vote - and leaves Labour with a tough choice.

Jeremy Corbyn will have just hours to call a no confidence vote after the new PM is expected to take office on July 24.

That's because Parliament begins its summer break on July 25. So if he doesn't call it immediately, he must wait until September at the earliest.

(Image: Leon Neal)

The advantage of waiting would be that Boris Johnson will have had time to try, and possibly fail, in his Brexit plan turning more Tory MPs against him.

Chief Whip Julian Smith and Tory chairman Brandon Lewis reportedly said Labour MPs have been put on a 'hard three-line whip' for Thursday 25 July.

A Labour source refused to comment on whipping, and said the timing of a no confidence vote will depend on "whether it has a realistic chance".

But the Mirror understands it's been made clear to Labour MPs that they shouldn't expect to be away from Parliament in that week.

"All options are on the table," one Labour figure told us.

(Image: PA)

Boris Johnson's rival for the leadership, Jeremy Hunt , warned a Johnson government would rapidly collapse - even though he's not ruled out a No Deal Brexit either.

Mr Hunt told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "Sometimes in politics you can fudge and get away with it.

"But in the case of Brexit you are going to have to make decisions immediately, and that very fragile coalition will collapse immediately when you have to make those decisions.

"If that happens we won't have another leadership contest, we will have Jeremy Corbyn in No 10 and there won't be any Brexit at all."