Theresa May faces mounting pressure to resign as cross-party Brexit talks resume

Theresa May will return to parliament today amid mounting pressure on her leadership and the threat of a grassroots rebellion from her own party.

MPs will be back in Westminster following the Easter recess as cross-party talks over Brexit continue.

Read more: Top Tories say leadership contest can only happen after Brexit is agreed

But the Prime Minister’s position is set to come under renewed threat on her return.

The backbench 1922 Committee of Tory MPs will meet today to discuss changes to party rules to allow another vote on May’s leadership.

The Prime Minister survived a no confidence vote in December and current Conservative party rules dictate that another vote cannot be held until twelve months have passed.

A grassroots rebellion has also gathered pace as more than 70 local Tory associations signed a petition calling for May to resign over the weekend.

The associations called for an extraordinary meeting of the National Conservative Convention to force another vote of confidence.

It comes after EU leaders granted the Prime Minister a Brexit extension until 31 October after MPs voted down her withdrawal agreement for a third time earlier this month.

Cross-party talks between government ministers and the Labour party will resume this afternoon after the Cabinet are set to convene this morning.

Read more: May told to resign over 'abject surrender' of Brexit delay

The emergence of Nigel Farage’s newly formed Brexit party has also ramped up the pressure on the Prime Minister.

A Yougov poll last week found Farage’s party was on course to win next month’s contentious EU elections with 27 per of the vote, five points ahead of Labour, with the Conservatives languishing on 15 per cent.