Philip Hammond refuses to back Theresa May as Conservative leader into the next election

The Chancellor was asked four times to back her plan to stay as Prime Minister until 2022

Chancellor Philip Hammond refused to back Ms May to lead the Tories to the next election (PA)

Philip Hammond has refused to endorse Theresa May as the Conservative leader that will take the party into the next election.

The Chancellor was repeatedly asked to give his support to Ms May’s plan to stay in post until 2022 but failed to give her his backing.

It follows days of sniping between Mr Hammond’s allies and those of Boris Johnson and revelations that both were among ministers plotting to remove Ms May after the election.

The Conservative conference will start at the weekend with speculation about Ms May’s future rife amid claims that 30 Tory MPs are willing to sign a letter challenging her leadership.

During a trip to Scotland, Mr Hammond declined to say Ms May is the “optimum” individual to lead the Conservatives into the 2022 election despite being asked four times.

He said: “Well I am not going to get involved in the discussion about future Conservative Party leadership politics.

“Theresa May has made it very clear that she has a job to do, I am completely behind her in doing that job.”

At the weekend revelations in a new book claimed that Mr Hammond, Mr Johnson, Brexit Secretary David Davis and Home Secretary Amber Rudd were involved in planning for her departure following the her handling of the election campaign.

A fresh drive to remove her was launched by some MPs, including former ministers, in the wake of her handling of the Grenfell fire disaster. Today up to 30 backbenchers are said to be ready to sign a letter calling for the Prime Minister to go.

In Scotland today Mr Hammond also went on to say that he believes Ms May is “making an excellent job” of managing the Brexit negotiations, despite the cabinet truce arranged around her speech Florence hardly lasting 48 hours.

The speech called for a two-year transition in which the UK would continue to pay into EU coffers, remain a part of the single market and customs union and retain free movement, but Mr Johnson infuriated Mr Hammond’s supporters after claiming he prevented the Chancellor from pushing for a five year transition.

He is also said to have set out “red lines” that other cabinet figures believe implausible, for example that the UK should not accept any new regulations during the transition, despite the fact that Britain is supposed to adhere to EU rules and structures.

In news reports this morning the friends of the Chancellor were said to have referred to Mr Johnson as “simple-minded”.