Furious Brexiteers are to formally call for Theresa May to be ousted by writing letters to an influential Tory committee after being denied a symbolic vote on her premiership.
Sir Graham Brady, the powerful chairman of the 1922 committee, told MPs that they cannot trigger a Tory party no confidence vote in the prime minister until December - a year after she survived the last coup attempt.
Brady also told Leavers he would not allow an indicative vote of Tory MPs on May’s future “at this time”, despite anger at her decision to turn to Jeremy Corbyn in an attempt to deliver Brexit.
But staunch Brexiteer James Duddridge declared “open season” on MPs writing letters to Brady to express their opposition, and said May had lost support across the party.
“In my view two thirds of the parliamentary party would vote against her (in any indicative vote),” he said.
Mark Francois, vice chair of the Tory Brexiteer European Research Group, also said he would be writing to Brady.
He told reporters after the meeting: “We were told by the chairman of the ’22 committee that they had discussed whether or not they should organise some kind of informal indicative votes.
“But the executive for the full ’22 met and discussed this earlier, I think in his words ‘for some time’, and he said they had decided not to organise any indicative votes, in his words, ‘at this time’.
“I’ll be writing my letter probably tomorrow.”
However Tory loyalist Simon Hoare said the Brexiteers’ plan “wasn’t going anywhere”.
“It was raised as an idea and dismissed as an option,” he said.
“The chairman of the ’22 made clear that members of the party can write to him on any issue - that’s part of his role in being shop steward.
“But there is nothing in the rules or remit to provide a running commentary to anyone.”
It came as Tory members began cutting up their membership cards and sharing the results on social media.
Pub owner Adam Brooks, from Essex, was one of many to share a photo of his chopped up card.
Brooks said the Labour leader “has no right to be involved” in Brexit talks and May has “killed” the Conservative party.
Lawrence Gartshore, 16, said he cancelled his membership hours after the PM’s announcement from Downing Street on Tuesday evening.
“The Conservative party are not conservative any longer,” the school student from Warwick told the Press Association.
“This emphatic capitulation by May was really the final straw.”
Fellow Brexit advocate Busta Miller, 24, this is the second time he has cut up a Conservative membership card in three weeks.
“I was angry a few weeks ago and cut up my old conservative membership card,” the 24-year-old from Ealing said.
“I was hoping it would show the party how people like me felt.”