A senior Conservative backbencher has played down talk of a leadership challenge to British Prime Minister Theresa May, after she came under fire from her own side over her approach to Brexit.
Charles Walker, the vice-chairman of the influential backbench 1922 Committee, said that anyone thinking Mrs May might be pressured into naming a date for her departure should "sit in a darkened room and put a cold towel over their heads".
His comments came after a slew of Tories voiced concern over the direction of the government, with one prominent backbencher saying that "the window is closing" on the time she has to pull the party together
In a torrid weekend for the Prime Minister, Eurosceptic former Northern secretary Theresa Villiers said she was worried about a "dilution of Brexit" while Remainer Heidi Allen told Mrs May to "get a grip" and former minister Rob Halfon appeared to liken Mrs May to a "tortoise" in her governing style.
Johnny Mercer said earlier today that "we are in danger of Jeremy Corbyn becoming prime minister".
The Plymouth Moor View MP said: "How long has the Prime Minister got? I am of the view that any sort of change of leadership is not helpful at the moment and I don't support that.
"But, I do think the window is closing, because politics can be quite a brutal game.
"At the moment I do feel we are slightly struggling with a message and with a vision."
Veteran former minister Nicholas Soames - who last week warned that the May agenda was "dull, dull, dull" - moved to steady the Tory ship.
In an early-morning message to his colleagues via Twitter, the Mid-Sussex MP said: "Here's our theme for this week: Recover self-confidence, restore sense of direction and above all retain a sense of proportion."
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Newly-promoted Culture Secretary Matt Hancock said Tories should "all pull together and pull behind the Prime Minister."
And former education secretary Justine Greening - who was sacked in this month's reshuffle - told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I remain a strong backer of the Prime Minister ... We need to support her in that impossible, almost, task that she has negotiating Brexit."
Mr Walker told World at One: "It seems to happen every two weeks, we have these spasms within the party where there is this rocking of the boat, there is this off the record briefing of the media, and I simply can't understand, really, what is motivating this small minority of colleagues to behave in this way."
Asked if Mrs May should set a date for standing down, he said: "Well, I don't know if she is planning to step down.
"Anyone who is suggesting that really needs to go and sit in a darkened room and put a cold towel over their heads. She is the Prime Minister of this country. This is not a game."
Mr Walker dismissed speculation that the number of letters sent by MPs to 1922 committee chairman Graham Brady was nearing the threshold of 48 which would trigger a leadership election.
He said that only Mr Brady knew how many letters had been sent.
