May's moment of danger has not passed

The push to topple Theresa May ignited on Thursday when chief European Research Group (ERG) organisers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Steve Baker publicly declared they were sending in letters of no confidence to the chair of the 1922 backbench committee Sir Graham Brady.

Their declarations prompted panic in No 10, with one senior figure telling me that Mrs May's team expected the tipping point of 48 letters to be hit by the afternoon.

By Friday lunchtime, the ERG announced on its WhatsApp group that it had more than enough MPs required to trigger the vote.

But four days later, we're still waiting for the announcement to come.

Marched up the hill only to be marched down again, opponents have scoffed at the Brexiteers' botched coup.

Brexiteers claim that the serious whipping operation over the weekend - Mrs May's whips were recalled to Westminster on Friday to organise the No 10 operation - may have discouraged MPs from sending in letters.

But there are divisions too within the Brexiteer camp.

Mr Rees-Mogg and Mr Baker are among those who want a vote ahead of the European Council summit on Sunday, but others think it's better to wait until MPs have had their say on the Brexit deal - currently scheduled for a December vote - before trying to oust Mrs May.

MPs who have sent in letters of no confidence

At least 24 MPs say they have submitted letters of no confidence in the prime minister, as the backlash against her draft Brexit agreement grows

Capitalising on these divisions, the prime minister herself was busy picking off the Brexiteers on Monday as she held talks in No 10 with Iain Duncan Smith, Owen Patterson and David Trimble over their proposals for an alternative technological solution to the Irish backstop.

Mr Duncan Smith and Mr Patterson left that meeting convinced the prime minister was seriously entertaining what they had to say: A win for the PM which most likely led to some MPs deciding to hold on to their letters of no confidence for a few more days yet.

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Mrs May has won back the momentum in the past few days following two resignations from her cabinet and a brutal mauling in the Commons over her proposed withdrawal agreement last Thursday.

But the moment of danger has not passed.

Brexiteers still mutter that it is a question of when, not if.

Open warfare is now the new normal in the Tory party and in parliament as Brexit reaches its end game.

Mrs May is pressing on with her Brexit plan, but her opponents are pressing on too.

The letter count continues.