Former Secretary of State Nicky Morgan accused Boris Johnson of a “dereliction” of duty and his increased pressure on May with fresh Brexit intervention is “undoing” the Conservative Party and leading Jeremy Corbyn to Downing Street.
The ex-cabinet minister lashed out at the Foreign Secretary for setting out his own Brexit “red lines”, which opposed May’s agenda and showed no regard for the financial security of millions of Brexit supporters.
Ms Morgan, writing in The Independent, said: “The UK Government should be focusing on getting the UK out of the EU in the least damaging way, not debating arbitrary red lines set down to try to curry favour with those who want a utopian ultra-free trade, low tax, minimal regulation state.
“Those who are pushing this agenda have no place in a responsible government – it is a dereliction of the duty to act in the national interest. And it has to stop.”
The backlash also emerged elsewhere, with Tory MP Simon Hart taking to Twitter after Mr Johnson’s interview to say: “Have I missed something or has Boris Johnson suddenly been given some new role and authority in all this?”
Remain-backing Tory MP Anna Soubry said on Twitter: “Nicky Morgan and Ruth Davidson talking much sense.
“People are fed up with Tory wars and Brexit mixed messages. Boris Johnson must grow up or go.”
The former Minister for Women and Equalities argued that Mr Johnson appeared to take Ms May’s recent speech in Florence as an agreement which “takes him and ardent Brexiteers away…from the low tax, minimal regulation state” they want.
She went on to say: “Those who think that Brexit offers an opportunity to move to some low tax, almost off-shore de-regulatory haven don’t seem to care about the threat posed by Corbyn. They need to wake up.
“Not only is there no appetite for their vision amongst the electorate, it isn’t smart economics and would be our undoing as a party.”
Boris Johnson allegedly mocked Theresa May as a “slave” to her ex-aides Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill.
Johnson’s latest comments on Brexit have put Theresa May under renewed pressure ahead of the Tory party conference.
He said there can be “no monkeying around” about withdrawal from the EU.
This comes after the Foreign Secretary faced a backlash from fellow MPs and ministers following an interview in The Sun that further added to his leadership ambitions.
A cabinet minister said Mr Johnson is becoming increasingly isolated on the front bench.
Mr Johnson reportedly told a colleague: “That’s modern slavery right there,” after he is said to realise that he only has one more shot as Tory leader.