Ten ministers have lifted their resignation threats – and spared Theresa May a St Valentine’s Day massacre of her Government.

The Remainer ministers led by Chancellor Phillip Hammond were prepared to quit to support Labour MP Yvette Cooper’s attempts to postpone Article 50, which is due to take us out of the EU on 29th March.

Their next chance was to be on Thursday, when Ms Cooper’s redrafted Bill was due before the Commons.

But she is not expected to push it to a vote as it is unlikely to go through while Prime Minister Theresa May is in last-ditch talks with Brussels.

Speaking to the Mirror, Ms Cooper says: “If this latest round of talks goes nowhere then we will put forward a revised version of our Bill in case more time is needed.”

Mr Hammond’s rebels, understood to include Welfare chief Amber Rudd, reasoned that if so many ministers were to quit, the PM would cave in to their demands. But they pulled back two weeks ago, when Ms Cooper’s Bill first went before Parliament, so that Tory backbench chairman Graham Brady’s amendment got through.

That instructed Mrs May to renegotiate the backstop.

A Whitehall insider said: “If Mrs May had not done that deal they would have quit. Now the landscape has changed. They’re prepared to give her a chance.”

Ministers they will get another vote on delaying Article 50 within two weeks of Thursday.

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