Brexit news latest: Theresa May's allies in legal threat to rebels who are trying to oust her

Sir Graham Brady was due to meet Mrs May this afternoon on behalf of the executive to insist she give a firm departure date and timetable for a leadership contest. However, the senior supporter of Mrs May said “any attempt” to alter the rules would be “subject to a legal challenge” meaning that Downing Street or a group of Tories acting on behalf of Mrs May would go to court. The clash was caused by the abortive confidence vote forced last December by members of the European Research Group, which Mrs May won comfortably. Under party rules, the PM is supposed to have a clear 12 months before any further confidence motion can be put.