Pincer movement on May as the Commons prepares to return. This week, the ’22 Executive will mull changing the no confidence rules.  65 constituency chairmen to demand that she goes. Seventy per cent of MPs “want her to resign”.

“Theresa May will be told this week that she must step down as prime minister by the end of June or her MPs will change the Tory party leadership rules to force her out. Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the back-bench 1922 committee, is set to visit May to tell her that 70% of her MPs now want her to resign for botching Brexit and presiding over a collapse in Tory support. MPs on the executive of the committee will meet on Tuesday to decide whether to tear up the rules to allow a new vote of no confidence in May before December. Insiders say “swing voters” are leaning towards changing the rules unless she agrees to go by June 30.” – Sunday Times

• Juncker claims turmoil after Brexit will be the UK’s fault – Sunday Telegraph
• Fox: the UK will return 50 angry and disruptive MEPS if we have euro-elections – Sunday Telegraph
• Rudd and One Nation Group urge business leaders to join the Conservatives – Sunday Times
• Ebac founder calls for Redwood to take over – Sunday Express
• Anti-HS2 polling suggests that leadership candidates should scrap the scheme – Sunday Telegraph
• Pro-HS2 campaign says that leadership contenders should keep the scheme – Observer
• The winner will junk it – Liam Halligan, Sunday Telegraph
• Ingham v Clarke on Thatcher and Europe – Mail on Sunday

> Yesterday:

• ToryDiary – Our survey. A record total of nearly eight out of ten Party members say that May should announce now that she will resign.
• MPsETC – Exclusive. The full list of Conservative MEP candidates.

Poll: two in five Conservative councillors will vote for the Brexit Party

“The exclusive Mail on Sunday survey shows that an astonishing 40 per cent of Conservative councillors are planning to vote for Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party in May’s European elections, in protest at the Prime Minister’s failure to conclude the UK’s exit from the EU. Three-quarters of her own councillors want Mrs May to resign – and an overwhelming 96 per cent believe that the Tory Party has been damaged by the impasse. Conservative MPs preparing to return to the Commons after the Easter break have been shaken by the strength of feeling in their local associations over Mrs May’s leadership, after she agreed to delay Brexit until the end of October if she cannot strike a deal.” – Mail on Sunday

• Quotes from councillors: “The Conservative Party has become a joke on the doorstep” – Mail on Sunday

> Today: ToryDiary: Our survey. Three out of five Party members will vote for the Brexit Party in European elections.

Farage: first, I’ll squeeze Labour. Next, devour the Conservatives.

“His main focus in these elections, he says, will be a “northern attack” on Labour’s leave-voting heartlands. “My view, which I came to today, having been out for lunch for the first time this week, is that Conservative voters that are going to switch to the Brexit Party will effectively make up their own minds on this. “My real challenge here is not the Conservatives. It’s that there are about 5m people who voted [Jeremy] Corbyn in 2017 and voted Brexit the year before, and I think that’s where I need to be.” – Sunday Times

• Brexit Party gains £1.5 million in five days from 60,00 new supporters – Sun on Sunday
• Farage Nottingham rally – Sunday Express
• Annunziata Rees Mogg as Cersei Lannister – Observer
• Tice, Longworth and others “standing for the Brexit Party” – Mail on Sunday

John Gray: The Conservatives risk the decimation of the voluntary party

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