Philip Hammond, the chancellor, has raised further doubts about Theresa May’s future after failing to support her plans to fight the next election as Conservative leader, describing her prospects post-Brexit as “not an issue for today”.
 The Sunday Times reported at the weekend that Hammond, Boris Johnson, David Davis and Amber Rudd were involved in feverish plotting to replace May immediately after her snap election gamble in June failed to deliver the promised Tory majority.
When asked repeatedly whether he believed May should lead the party into the next election, Hammond insisted the issue was separate from the immediate question of leading the UK through the Brexit talks.
Speaking to reporters in Dundee, the chancellor was asked who the “optimum person” was to lead the Tories into the next election. He responded: “Well, I’m not going to get involved in the discussion about future Conservative party leadership politics.
“May has made it very clear that she has a job to do; I’m completely behind her in doing that job. I think she’s making an excellent job of managing the Brexit negotiations.
We’re entering a critical phase now and all of us need to focus our attention on delivering a Brexit that works for Britain.”
 Hammond was asked several times again whether or not he backed May, who told reporters on her tour of Japan she expected to lead the Conservatives into the next election.
He said: “I’m not going to get into a conversation about potential future leadership discussions in the Conservative party. I think you will see next week at our party conference that the party is clear and unified behind May, delivering us a Brexit that works for Britain.”





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