Tom Watson: Labour is ready to lead if Theresa May's government collapses amid Priti Patel scandal

The deputy Labour leader has written to Theresa May demanding further details of the former Cabinet minister’s summer talks.

He said he had been told that Ms Patel met officials from the British Consulate General in Jerusalem, which he said made clear that the Foreign Office was aware of her presence in the country.

"I would like to know the facts of this case, because it is very unusual," the West Bromwich East MP said.

"I was told that the Foreign Office deliberately asked Downing Street to remove details of the briefing she received from Foreign Office officials when she was in Israel.

"If true, it shows that there was knowledge that Priti Patel was running a sort of independent foreign policy earlier, and that she's not been sacked for breaching the ministerial code in doing that, but she's been sacked because it became public that she was doing that."

Responding to reports that EU officials were preparing for a possible change in government, Mr Watson said: "If Theresa May collapses, then the country is in a very bad place and would require a General Election.

"It does seem to me that we are in a very unstable situation at the heart of government and that random events could bring the Government down. We are ready with our manifesto, we would be prepared to go into a general election with a bold set of policies."

His comments came as the Prime Minister faces a second reshuffle in a week as she attempts to reassert her authority following Ms Patel's resignation.

Should Ms May be ejected from office, she would be replaced by another Conservative leader – unless Tory MPs vote to overturn the Fixed Term Parliaments Act to stage another General Election.

Mr Watson added: “If Theresa May collapses, then the country is in a very bad place and would require a General Election.”

Meanwhile Jacob Rees-Mogg suggested that disgruntled Remainers could have been behind the leak which led to prominent Brexiteer Ms Patel's downfall.

He said that generally 'conspiracy theories are wrong' because 'people aren't behaving according to some grand Marxist plan'.

"But nonetheless there are still some people who are still very bitter about the result a year ago and inevitably that colours their behaviour," he said.

"If you go into how did Priti Patel's visit come out in the first place, was it leaked by the Foreign Office, was it leaked by somebody at the Foreign Office who resented her and probably the Foreign Secretary's role in Brexit, you may find something."

Ms Patel's replacement would not necessarily have to be an ardent Brexiteer, he said.

"As long as it's somebody who has accepted that Brexit is happening and will support it properly and won't be a frightful Eeyore I don't think there will be a problem."