Brexit news latest: Dominic Raab pledges support to Theresa May despite attacking 'fatally flawed' EU divorce plan

Dominic Raab has claimed he would support Prime Minister Theresa May in a leadership ballot - despite renewing his attack on her "fatally flawed" Brexit plan.

Mr Raab said he supported Ms May's leadership just three days after quitting as Brexit secretary – one of numerous Cabinet resignations which plunged the government into crisis. But he added she needs to "change course" on Brexit.

Asked about Brexiteer Conservative MPs trying to topple Ms May by sending no confidence letters to 1922 Committee chair Sir Graham Brady, Mr Raab labelled it a “total distraction” and insisted he still supports her.

He told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday: “It's a total distraction from what we need to do. We need to get Brexit over the line. We need to support our Prime Minister.

"I have got huge respect for her. I wrote that in my resignation letter, it is not flim-flam.

"I have worked very closely with her on Brexit and I think there is still the opportunity to get this right. Support the PM - but she must also listen and change course on Brexit."

Mr Raab refused to give a direct answer when the presenter asked him if he would stand as leader, but promised he wouldn’t be sending a no-confidence letter.

“I have supported the Prime Minister all the way through her premiership,” he said. “I still do now.”

However, he reiterated his view that Ms May’s Brexit deal was “fatally flawed”.

“I think we got very close to a deal that would be faithful to the referendum, sensible and pragmatic.

“But two or three of the changes rendered this deal fatally flawed. In good conscience, I didn’t feel able to sign up to this.”

Mr Raab complained the deal takes a “predatory” approach to Northern Ireland that threatened the union.

He added: “We were close to a deal, and actually, if these two or three points were changed, I still think a deal could be done. But it’s very late in the day now, and we need to change course.”

His backing of the Prime Minister came on the same day as a scathing Sunday Times interview in which he suggested Ms May failed to stand up EU “bullying”.

Ms May herself appeared on Sophy Ridge on Sunday to defend her Brexit deal, and warned rebel backbenchers that a change in leadership would risk delaying the divorce.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also appeared on the same show, saying a second referendum on Brexit "is an option for the future" but "not an option for today".