Mixed reaction to May speech

In her address to the party this week, Mrs May called for unity, and said all sides needed to compromise over Brexit, or they could put Britain's withdrawal from the EU at risk. Many observers noted that the speech made no specific mention of her controversial Chequers proposals, which have come under fire from both pro EU and Brexit supporters.

North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson, who has pledged to defy the party whip and vote against Chequers if was put before the Commons in its present form, warned that the PM was becoming more vulnerable the longer she continued pushing for this deal.

"The fact that she didn't mention the word Chequers at all is an acknowledgement of the massive feeling against it," he said.

"All we want her to do is listen to members of her party who overwhelmingly want her to 'Chuck Chequers'. This was a missed opportunity to say she would listen to the party."

However Mr Paterson said that MPs voting against Chequers did not necessarily mean the triggering of a general election.

"We are just asking her to deliver on the Conservative manifesto and on the Lancaster speech.

"However Mrs May will become more and more vulnerable the longer that this goes on. I would much prefer her to move away from Chequers and avoid a leadership challenge than keep pushing and pushing which could drive some MPs to push themselves for a leadership battle."

Shrewsbury and Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski said he wanted to support the Prime minister but he and local party members would need to see the final Brexit documents first.

He said he would be meeting with local party members to discuss their views on the party conference, Chequers and Brexit.

"The absence of any acknowledgement of Chequers from the PM's speech makes it obvious that she knows that Chequers in not overwhelmingly popular," said Mr Kawczynski.

But he said it was premature to discount Chequers altogether, and wanted to see the final draft.

"I want to support the prime minister but the agreement has to wash with the party and with my local party members. How I vote will depend on their reaction."

Mark Pritchard, MP for the Wrekin, praised Mrs May's speech, but also warned that the issue of Brexit was not going to go away.

"This was probably one of Theresa May's best speeches," he said.

"However, Brexit, and how that is effectively delivered, still remains.

"The next few weeks will be critical in getting Brexit right, and reveal whether she can deliver."

Montgomeryshire MP, Glyn Davies, said: "I think I am Mrs May's greatest fan at the moment."

He said she was doing an excellent job in what was a near-impossible task.

"The straw she has drawn is so short that you can hardly hold it," he added.

"Mrs May was treated by the EU in a most appalling way to humiliate her and Britain. She was clearly angry but she carried on doing what is right for the country. She is putting her country before herself, which not many people would do."

Mr Davies, who voted to leave the EU, said the country needed a deal and the Chequers proposal was the only one on the table at the moment.

"We need to negotiate on something based on the Chequers proposals," he said. "Too many people are standing up and criticising her but they dont have an answer to what they would do."