The Telegraph has been told discussions have begun about when Mrs May should be ousted if she refuses to leave Number 10 before the next general election.

Several Cabinet ministers want her to go immediately after Brexit day in March next year, but others are prepared to give her until 2020 if she uses the next Conservative Party Conference to announce her departure date.

They are agreed that Mrs May’s disastrous performance in last year’s election means she cannot be allowed to lead the party into the 2022 poll [...]