Aylesbury MP David Lidington has said he has “no wish” to take over from Theresa May amid reports that Cabinet ministers are plotting a coup to get rid of her and draft him in as caretaker Prime Minister.

Mr Lidington, who is Mrs May’s de facto deputy, told Sky News that “whichever side of the argument we were on in the referendum”, all Cabinet ministers support the PM’s Brexit deal.

He told reporters in his constituency: “I don't think that I've any wish to take over from the PM (who) I think is doing a fantastic job.

“I tell you this: one thing that working closely with the Prime Minister does is cure you completely of any lingering shred of ambition to want to do that task.

“I have absolute admiration for the way she is going about it."

His comments come after speculation that Mrs May will be ousted from Number 10 reached fever pitch, amid a furious backlash over her handling of Brexit.

Almost five million people have signed a petition to revoke Article 50 and remain in the EU.

Mrs May’s former policy adviser MP George Freeman said it was “all over for the PM”, tweeting: “She’s done her best. But across the country you can see the anger.

“Everyone feels betrayed. Government’s gridlocked. Trust in democracy collapsing. This can't go on. We need a new PM who can reach out (and) build some sort of coalition for a Plan B.”

Pro-EU former education secretary Nicky Morgan told the Sunday Telegraph that Cabinet ministers should tell Mrs May "it's time to go" while Brexiteer and Wycombe MP Steve Baker said potential leadership contenders in the government should "act now".

The Sunday Times reported 11 Cabinet ministers had told the paper they wanted Mrs May to make way for someone else and that the PM's de facto deputy David Lidington was in line to take over the helm.

Mrs May is understood to be meeting prominent Brexiteers at her country residence, Chequers, in Bucks, today (Sunday) afternoon, before convening a meeting of the Cabinet on Monday morning.

Among those reportedly attending talks in Buckinghamshire are ministers Mr Lidington, environment secretary Michael Gove and Mr Barclay, along with chief whip Julian Smith, and Eurosceptics Mr Duncan Smith, Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Dominic Raab.

Chancellor Philip Hammond has accused Cabinet ministers allegedly plotting to oust the Prime Minister of being "self-indulgent".

He told Sky News's Sophy Ridge: "To be talking about changing the players on the board frankly is self-indulgent at this time."

Mr Hammond said he did not think it was the case that Mrs May has run out of road, saying: "This is not about the Prime Minister or any other individual, this is about the future of our country.

"Changing Prime Minister wouldn't help us, changing the party in Government wouldn't help us: we've got to address the question of what type of Brexit is acceptable to Parliament, what type of way forward Parliament can agree on so that we can avoid what would be an economic catastrophe of a no-deal exit and also what would be a very big challenge to confidence in our political system if we didn't exit at all."

Mr Hammond also denied reports that he wanted Mr Lidington to be installed as a caretaker Prime Minister.