FORMER Brexit secretary David Davis has said up to 20 Tories could vote against the Government in a Commons confidence showdown.
Davis said a long extension to the Article 50 process delaying Brexit would "tear apart" the Tories.
The prominent Leave campaigner expressed concern at talk of linking bringing Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal back to the Commons with a confidence vote.
Davis said up to 20 Tory MPs could put their Brexit views ahead of party allegiance.
He told the BBC: "I'd only make one warning to the Cabinet... don't be sure that every Conservative MP would vote for you if it was made a confidence vote.
"One or two of them have said already... and, I think, probably about 20 of them would say, this, actually, is so important, it's the future of our country.
"It's our destiny at stake. It's more important than the Tory Party."
Asked about standing for the Tory leadership, Davis said: "People have been coming to me for months on this... and I say I'm not going to think about it.
"Why? Because this issue is more important than the leadership."
Davis added that the next leader would need to be strongly pro-Leave, stating: "I think it probably has to be a Brexiteer, but that doesn't mean it has to be a right winger."
The ex-minister said it would be very difficult for the Tories to fight a general election under May.
"I have long supported our Prime Minister through thick and thin in terms of trying to do her job.
"And, I think, generally, not withstanding our disagreements on Brexit, I think she is a good Prime Minister, but she is not a very good campaigner.
"The idea of going out to fight it under her leadership would be very difficult to do."
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