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Theresa May has won a temporary reprieve after a torrid week when she faced down critics with an “emotional” address to Tory MPs.
The prime minister delivered a “heartfelt” appeal to the 1922 committee of backbenchers amid widespread speculation of a bid to oust her.
Former home secretary Amber Rudd said that Ms May had “won the room” while Brexiteer Michael Fabricant called the gathering a “love-in” for the PM.
It comes after a flurry of brutal newspaper reports, including one where an anonymous MP said Ms May should “bring her own noose” to the meeting.
Ms Rudd praised the PM, saying: “She got a warm welcome, she talked quite emotionally about why she was doing this for the good of the country and how it was important that the public and our party members realise that we are behind her and that we all wanted the same thing – which is to lead in the best interests of the country.”
Asked if the PM looked emotional, Ms Rudd said: “Well she looked like she really minded – it wasn’t reading from a script. She was talking frankly and honestly from the heart about why she was doing this and why it mattered.”
Mr Fabricant said: “It wasn’t Daniella in the lions’ den – it was a petting zoo.”
However ex-cabinet minister Nicky Morgan later told ITV’s Peston that Ms May had her backing “for now”
Asked if Mrs May had her support, she said: “She has, absolutely, for now. But I think we’ll probably, in the course of the next 12 months, we’ll be looking for a new leader.”
