Prime Minister Theresa May on Sunday accused British Members of Parliament who refuse to support her Brexit strategy of playing politics with the country's future.
In an interview with 'The Sunday Times' as the three-day Conservative Party conference opened in Birmingham, May reiterated that her so-called Chequers plan was the only proposal possible to strike a deal with the European Union (EU) on Britain's future relationship with the economic bloc once it has formally left in 2019.
She attacked the Opposition Labour Party for now backing the idea of a second referendum on the issue of Britain's membership of the EU.
"They said they'd respect the referendum result. Yet now they appear to be wanting to ask people to have a second go at it. So, you can't believe what they say. They're playing politics with this issue," she said.
To her own Conservative Party, which also remains divided over the issue, she said: "My message to the Conservative Party is going to be that, 'We are the party that always puts country first and puts the national interest first.' This is about a critical issue for the future of this country. And I think we naturally are a party that looks to the national interest."
He also refused to rule out a leadership challenge or say whether May should lead the party into the next election: "The Prime Minister said she is going to serve for as long as her party wants her, and I certainly think she should."