Michael Gove warns rivals' Brexit plans could put Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street by Christmas

Remarks come as Amber Rudd warns 'numbers are there' to topple Conservative government intent on no-deal Brexit

Michael Gove has warned that his rivals' Brexit plans in the Tory leadership contest will result in a general election and Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street by Christmas.

The cabinet minister made the remarks after failing to secure the endorsement of Matt Hancock, who dropped out of the race to replace Theresa May last week.

Instead, Mr Hancock, the health secretary, threw his weight behind the frontrunner Boris Johnson - a candidate committed to taking Britain out of the bloc on 31 October with or without a deal.

But the environment secretary Mr Gove, who appeared to concede that Mr Johnson was assured a place in the final two candidates, attempted to emphasise a key difference in his and his rivals' plans for Brexit.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "One specific difference between me and other candidates - other candidates say if we're almost there by 31 October, but not quite there, I'll tell you what we'll rip up all the progress we've made and try to leave without a deal.

"That would mean a vote of confidence in parliament, a general election, and [Jeremy] Corbyn in Downing Street by Christmas. I will not do that."

On Sunday, Jeremy Hunt, the foreign secretary who is also vying for the Tory crown, made a similar warning about the prospect of a Mr Johnson or a Dominic Raab led administration.

Mr Hunt said he was not willing to pledge a "hard stop, any cost" exit from the EU on 31 October, warning it would effectively mean committing the country to a a no-deal Brexit or "an election if parliament chooses to stop that".

Their remarks came as cabinet colleague, Amber Rudd, warned on Sunday that there are a sufficient number of Conservative MPs prepared to take the extraordinary step of voting down a government intent on ploughing ahead with a no-deal Brexit.

Speaking to the Today programme, Mr Gove admitted he was "disappointed" not to receive the support of Mr Hancock in the leadership race, and claimed the health secretary was "alternating" between him or Mr Johnson.

"He's a friend of mine and I know that over the course of the weekend he had a very tough decision to make," he said. "Without me going into private conversation, I know that he was alternating between supporting Boris and supporting me.

"He felt that we we were the strongest candidates in the race," Mr Gove added.

Writing in The Times, Mr Hancock said: "Having considered all the options, I'm backing Boris Johnson as the best candidate to unite the Conservative party, so we can deliver Brexit and then unite the country behind an open, ambitious, forward-looking agenda, delivered with the energy that gets stuff done."

He said he believed Mr Johnson had a "unique personality" which would bring the Tories together behind a Brexit deal, adding: "We need that unity in the Conservative party, and then in the country. Let's move forward."