Conservative MP and Father of the House, Ken Clarke, has admitted the Brexiteers within the Tory Party will likely “get their way” with a Leave-backing leader take over from Prime Minister Theresa May when she steps down. But, the Remain supporter told Channel 4 News, whoever takes over as the new Conservative Party leader will still face the reality of not having a “Commons majority for anything”. He said: “The hard right Brexiteers in the party, the faction of the right-wing nationalists, the ERG mainly and so on, they have been devoting as much effort to getting rid of Theresa May for the last six months as they have to sorting out what exactly they want to do to reach arrangements with Europe and leave Europe.

“They’ve delayed leaving the European Union. They wouldn’t vote for the withdrawal agreement because they wanted to get rid of Theresa.

“We could have left the European Union on March 29 if it hadn’t been the European Research Group blocking it, and although they look now as though they are going to get their way.

“And presumably they hope that one of their number would take over as leader, which several of them want to do, I don’t think they have any clear idea of how they get a Commons majority for anything, something, once a new leader takes over.

“It is another sad turn of events in this truly chaotic situation.”

It is another sad turn of events in this truly chaotic situation

Ken Clarke

He added: “For the people who are now just fervent Brexiteers, they think the solution for the Conservative Party is to become like Nigel Farage.

“They think the future is to counter the new Brexit Party, by being just as extreme as it is, and simplistic in its approach to the world.”

On Thursday, Mrs May pledged to set the date of her departure as leader after her last-ditch effort to get her Brexit deal through the House of Commons at the start of June.

The decision came following a meeting with the Conservative Party’s influential 1922 Committee who had demanded Mrs May set out a roadmap to when she would step down.

The Prime Minister had originally promised to step down before the second stage of Brexit negotiations, but following damaging local election results, and uncertainty over her Brexit withdrawal agreement, some members of her own party had called for Mrs May to resign.

After the meeting, chairman of the 1922, Sir Graham Brady, said: “The Prime Minister is determined to secure our departure from the European Union and is devoting her efforts to securing the second reading of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill in the week commencing 3rd June 2019 and the passage of that Bill and the consequent departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union by the Summer.

“We have agreed that she and I will meet following the 2nd Reading of the Bill to agree to a timetable for the election of a new leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party.”

Mrs May told members of the backbench Conservative 1922 Committee that she would stand down in time for someone else to take the reigns for the second phase of the negotiations.

She said: “I know there is a desire for a new approach – and new leadership – in the second phase of the Brexit negotiations – and I won’t stand in the way of that.”

Boris Johnson officially announced he’ll run for the leadership on Thursday. The former foreign secretary told a business event in Manchester: “I’m going to go for it. Of course, I’m going to go for it.”

Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Environment Secretary Michael Gove, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd and Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom all remain potential candidates to run for leader.

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