Readers urge Theresa May to go for the sake of Brexit

That's the blunt message from Express & Star readers to Theresa May, who appears to have lost the faith of the public over her controversial Brexit deal.

More than 1,000 readers took part in an online survey, answering questions on the Prime Minister's leadership and the prospects for the UK's departure from the EU.

And 77 per cent of them called on Mrs May to step aside with immediate effect, with only 12 per cent of respondents saying they are confident that the Government can deliver Brexit.

And with Mrs May battling to hold onto power, just a quarter of people felt she would still be in Number 10 by the end of the year.

The odds on the Prime Minister still leading the country in 2019 have shortened drastically in recent days, despite backbenchers rallying around her following a series of hastily arranged meetings with party whips.

Mrs May has come under fire since her Cabinet agreed a 12-point Brexit plan at her country retreat Chequers last Friday, a deal which critics have branded 'the softest of soft Brexits'.

It led to a string of resignations from pro-Leave campaigners, including former senior Cabinet ministers Boris Johnson and David Davis.

Mr Davis said he feared Mrs May had conceded too much too early in the negotiating process, while Mr Johnson said matching EU rules on food and goods left the UK heading 'for the status of a colony'.

Tory vice-chairs Ben Bradley and Maria Caulfield have also gone, announcing their departures just 15 minutes before the Prime Minister was due to give a press conference.

Only 14 per cent of readers have given their backing to the Chequers deal, which Mr Johnson said amounted to a betrayal of the EU referendum vote.

Four out of five readers who took part in our survey said the Brexiteer big beasts were right to quit the Cabinet, a move which has been widely praised by many of those to the right of the Tory party.

Jacob Rees-Mogg praised the pair for 'standing up for what the Conservatives promised voters in their manifesto'.

Mrs May received a rousing reception from the 1922 Committee of Tory backbench MPs on Monday night, although Mr Rees-Mogg said it was 'delusional' to suggest that the meeting was indicative of the mood of the party.