MORE than 30 Tory MPs are poised to vote against a no-deal Brexit, former PM hopeful Sam Gyimah has said.

Speaking on Sky News, the former education minister said a “significant number” of his party’s politicians are looking at legislative options to block a no-deal Brexit.

He added: “I think it is about 30, 30-plus. But what they will be looking to do is stop a new prime minister from proroguing Parliament in order to deliver no deal but also create options for the new prime minister so that no deal is not the only option we face on October 31.”

However, Gyimah ruled out voting against the Government in a confidence motion: “I have been very explicit about that. That is not something I intend to do.

“I think it is the nuclear option. I don’t want to go there. I know there are some who are considering it. What all this is about is staving off economic mayhem.

“We will be hurting the economy. I think that is something most people are concerned about.”

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Meanwhile, on the Andrew Marr Show, Justice Secretary David Gauke said he is one of “a sizeable number” of Tory MPs who are “meeting and having conversations at all times” about getting a Brexit deal.

Asked about the possibility of an early General Election, Gauke said any public poll before the UK has left the EU would be “extremely difficult” for his party and added that he will resign if Boris Johnson beats Jeremy Hunt to the role of prime minister.

He said: “Assuming that he wins, if Boris’s position is that he is going to require every member of the Cabinet to sign up to being prepared to leave without a deal on October 31 to be fair to him, I can’t support that policy so I would resign in advance.”

However, Home Secretary Sajid Javid has confirmed he is backing former rival Johnson for the Tory leadership. The former leadership contender said Johnson shares his “vision” for “a party that unites our country, protects our precious Union, embraces modern Britain and brings Conservative values to new audiences”.

The endorsement came as a YouGov survey for The Times put support Johnson at 74%, with Hunt polling just 26%.

The National:

The research also showed that 90% of Tory members believe Johnson would deliver a no-deal Brexit, compared with 27% for Hunt.

In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Johnson insisted his commitment to the October 31 deadline, with or without a deal, is not a bluff, adding: “We’ve got to show a but more gumption about this.”

He continued: “We were pretty much ready on March 29. And we will be ready by October 31.

“And it’s vital that our partners see that. They have to look deep into our eyes and think ‘my god, these Brits actually are going to leave. And they’re going to leave on those terms’.

“Everybody who says ‘I can’t stand the idea of a no-deal Brexit’, what they really mean is actually they don’t want to leave at all.”

Johnson, who has weathered a number of scandals during his political career and PM candidacy, is expected to deliver a speech tomorrow in which he will call for an emergency budget to prepare for a no-deal Brexit.

Meanwhile, the head of a think tank says the next prime minister should end “headline chasing promises” on immigration and focus on labour market needs, the head of a think tank has urged.

It comes as new polling shows that both candidates for the Tory leadership face challenges with getting the public to trust them on immigration policy.

James Kirkup, director of the Social Market Foundation think tank and contributor to a new report on immigration published today, said Theresa May’s successor “needs to have an honest conversation” about the issue. He added: “That means an end to simple, headline-chasing promises and a new focus on the needs of Britain’s employers, regions and communities.”

The report, called Immigration After May, is published by pro-integration think tank British Future and features polling by ICM which shows both Hunt and Johnson suffer from a public “trust deficit” on migration.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also showed a negative score.