TORY MP James Duddridge says not one senior Tory spoke out in support of Prime Minister Theresa May during a meeting of key Rochford and Southend East Conservatives.

Mr Duddridge, a fierce critic of Mrs May and her proposed EU deal, has submitted a letter calling for a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister.

He tweeted: “Had my association exec last night. Not one person spoke in support of the PM or criticised me for my vote of no confidence in her.

“Trust has broken down between the PM and party. Change must happen and it must come soon. We need a real leadership election where members vote.”

Meanwhile, Theresa May took a swipe at Tory rivals threatening to unseat her as party leader as she warned the next seven days would be "critical" to achieving a successful Brexit.

The Prime Minister warned that a change of leadership would not make it easier to get a deal past parliament or the EU, after furious Brexiteer backbenchers started moves to remove her.

She told Sky's Ridge On Sunday that as far as she knew the 48-letter threshold for letters of no confidence needed to start a leadership battle had yet to be reached.

In a message to those plotting her downfall, including members of the European Research Group of Eurosceptic MPs, she said she had not considered quitting.

She added: "A change of leadership at this point isn't going to make the negotiations any easier and it isn't going to change the parliamentary arithmetic.

"What it will do is bring in a degree of uncertainty. That is uncertainty for people and their jobs.

"What it will do is mean that it is a risk that we delay the negotiations and that is a risk that Brexit gets delayed or frustrated."