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Two of the Brexit department has resigned. David Davis then quickly Steve Baker, Davis apparently upset at Merkel seeing white paper before cabinet but in his letter he lists examples of things he has not liked and felt weakened UK hand but accepted due to collective responsibility and red lines of Brexit but no longer accept that, his letter is an
interesting read that I'm not doing any justice too. I like the little "I could be wrong, you could be right" bit, May gives three page response in effect defending her plans while she said Baker was welcomed back.
In his interviews afterwards, Davis set out he simply didn't believe in May's Brexit plans (which in fairness is likely to be true) and needs someone who does to argue for them, he doesn't think May's conciliatory approach will get more out of EU but instead see them being more demanding. We have ceded more then we should have already, he likes May and thinks she is a good PM and if he thought otherwise he would have brought her down after the election, didn't resign on Friday as he needed to talk to his local party first, most cabinet members disagree with 10-20% of a government's policy platform but this was too central to his department, Brexit deal won't bring back powers due to ECJ and N.Ireland backstop, expects emergency Brexit summit in November in EU to sort out a deal.
Most will accept Davis has resigned over a strategy he doesn't believe in, has been sidelined for likes of Olly Robinson and has helped May before but he must know this could risk her leadership. Not could, is risking her leadership even though he has declared he won't stand against her. As Brexit secretary I think he was affable and his willingness to generally keep his counsel in an age of briefing against ones own cabinet does him credit but he was prone to silly comments like not needing to be clever, his going back on just about everything he said before the referendum vote, he started talks with a big fight about dates then collapsed which sums up his Brexit negotiating success rate, lots of talk but reality meant he kept losing. For a man wh was a big advocate of backbench power, he seemed rather less keen when in government and his constant "will he, won't he... oh he won't resign" was getting silly.
Peter Bone welcomes it as proposals are Brexit in name only so principled by Davis, Jenkyns takes her hat off at the principled resignations and says Brexiteers need to make this a game changing moment, Creagh says doing this in night before normal courtesies suggests leadership contest. Rees-Mogg says if Davis has gone then Brexit proposals can't be very good and May's attempts to bounce cabinet have backfired so she should reconsider her approach as without Davis backing she has no support for them, Freeman says no deal has got more likely, Farage congratulates Davis and says May is controlled by civil service. CBI calls it a blow as it brings back uncertainty, Bridgen says he has done the right thing and also praises the juniors. Bernard Jenkin says Davis was left with little choice and bemoans vicious briefing against Brexit ministers, PM needs to take policy off the table and rebuild trust again while in no way making comments about May says establishment is in grips of Remain who don't accept referendum result, extending uncertainty as much as possible and submitting to EU, fears for the party and country unless May returns to old red lines.
May has gambled on bouncing the Brexiteers into it, that hasn't quite come off clearly, I would suggest Baker's resignation will have alarmed the backbenchers as much as Davis did and maybe more so as Baker is an influential and hardline Brexiteer, his going means a powerful figure on the backbenches who can really organized the revolt and knows his tactics which should worry number 10. Davis of course is the one the media will focus on, the big name, Secretary of State, damaging for May as the "another resignation?" is going around but also if Brexit secretary is going then what kind of Brexit are facing may be public reaction so May needs to get on top of this. Davis himself is not a strong contender for leadership even before he ruled himself out, too many "going to resign, going to resign", didn't impress particularly in Brexit department and may be seen as too compromised. However since Davis has gone, maybe a bigger beast can rise to challenge for May's crown?
Was expected initially that replacement would be at 9am, was expected it would not be Gove as might be difficult to control and would anger Brexiteers.
Dominic Raab was an unexpected choice, a big promotion from housing to full cabinet and someone who always linked for promotion but never seemed to get it. Lawyer, clever, strong media performer, a committed Brexiteer and libertarian right, seen as a pragmatic (he has talked of maybe extending transition) who has worked with Davis and Gove, who I assume has read the white paper before agreeing. His replacement in housing will be 8th since coalition government and 17th since Blair, better suited to this job then Davis was I suspect
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Boris has resigned, he went missing and out of contact (meant to be in Balkans, missed Corba meeting, missed press conference) teen found holed up with his advisers, Farage said he would be a hero if he resigned. Downing Street announced the resignation with a very perfunctory statement in a deliberate attempt to ensure Boris didn't get to control narrative, has infuriated Boris while I doubt all May being able to say in her Commons thank you is his passion. Boris letter bemoans the Brexit dream is dying as it is suffocated by self-doubt and we are going backwards, not enough preparation for no deal has been done, we are heading for semi-Brexit and colony status with current plans likely to be watered down "It is as though we are sending our vanguard into battle with the white flags fluttering above them."
Davis surprisingly remarks he resigned due to Brexit being central to his post but that it isn't to Boris post and he regrets Boris decision, Goldsmith backs Boris "Boris could literally throw himself in front of a bus to save a child, and his opponents would still accuse him of being opportunistic. He’d never have wanted to resign from one of the great offices of state. That he did so shows how much he cares about respecting the referendum". Sir Alan Duncan praises Boris work that is often unseen, likes of Whittingdale and Jenkin praise the principled resignation
How much of a blow is it? It shoots May's "keep Brexiteers in so they have to take the blame" now the two big Brexit beasts have gone and means she is almost facing a leadership content. Frankly, I expect May to win the likely leadership contest, there is unhappiness with her but Boris has too many MP's who hate him and her Brexit plans probably command more support among Tory MP's then the Brexiteers version. However budget or custom bills vote could be fatal for her now. Boris was an amazingly inept foreign secretary, angering people with careless statements was behind enough but getting someone jailed by the Iranian government? That shot his credibility massively and will keep haunting him. Boris hopes that this resignation would redeem him among supporters? Maybe but doing it after Davies looks calculating rather then principled, the age old charge of what does Boris believe in.
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Kat Malthouse gets housing, promotion from DWP, a former deputy mayor of London, former MEP and ardent hardline Brexiteer
Chris Heaton-Harris gets Brexit, the guy who wrote to universities about Brexit and got hammered, will be an attempt to reassure the Brexit hardliners.
-Labour says EU can't take May seriously with her authority so destroyed and so she should go (if May wins the days ahead, this may strengthen her hand with EU), Tom Watson calls it meltdown
-Eyes on Dr Fox, the third Brexiteers
-Thornberry calculates there has been one resignation for every six weeks of May's time
-Sturgeon says The chequers unity didn’t last long. This UK government is in utter chaos and ebbing authority by the day. What a shambles.” , is game on for remaining in single market and customs union
-Gove open to no deal if EU doesn't show flexibility
-Sir Stramer says Labour won't back May's plan as she has fudged on customs and is no way similar to Labour's, says there will need to be preferred treatment of EU citizens in immigration system, Davis resignation exposes the split at heart of government, wants a vote on staying in customs union during trade bill
-Gardiner quite strong against second referendum as patronizing to voters and creates more uncertainty for business
-Javid not jumping to conclusions over the now fatal Salisbury poisoning but let police do their work
-Welsh Labour saying Davis resignation shows a government in dissaray
-Rees-Mogg doubts a no confidence vote is immediately in offing but she does need to drop her Brexit plans, Barwell meeting suggests May is relying on "socialist votes" to get it through, May has gone backwards on Brexit and being inconsistent with her promises. Pleased with Raab's appointment as long as he gets genuine power, May could get hard Brexit through as Commons fears a no deal, couldn't accept foreign secretary post
-Gavin Barwell, May's chief of staff, inviting Labour MP's to discuss May's Brexit deal, Sir Stramer has indicated he will go and Labour MP's should. Anger about this from Tory MP's meant Barwell pulled out with briefing done by officials
-EU diplomat "We're already used to negotiating with Olly Robbins, so this resignation doesn't really affect the negotiations.'", EU leaders giving careful welcome but they have questions
-Leadsom says no favours for EU migrants which goes against what May has said. Will May clamp down?
-Ambassador Woody Johnson says trade deal is up in air after Chequers
-Barker says Brexit department was blindsided, doesn't give freedom from EU laws, clearly livid at hostile briefing with the taxi's pre-Chequers, establish still wants Remain but opposes leadership challenge
-Suella Braverman was thought to have resigned from Brexit department then doesn't just after
-Rumours Robbins has began to take a lot of the Brexit staff
-Tusk "Politicians come and go but the problems they have created for people remain. I can only regret that the idea of #Brexit has not left with Davis and Johnson. But...who knows?"
-Pound rallied when Davis went, perhaps expecting a soft Brexit, went back down when Boris went and revealed chaos.
-Davidson backs May
-Downing Street saying May will fight any leadership contest amidst (likely not yet true) rumours the 48 letters threshold has been met
-May's 1922 committee meeting starts with desk banging to show support and it seems like May had the support of the room
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-Journalist Tim Stanley quipped "Right, let's go to bed and reconvene in about 8 hours to find out who the Prime Minister is."
-Soubry says May's plan isn't perfect but is grownup steps forward, not time for ego's and blind ideology
-Sir Cash said (before Davis resigned) there is a lot of unhappiness at Brexit white paper, denies writing to 1922 committee and accepting EU guidelines was a mistake
-Greening says England wouldn't have beaten Sweden if they were arguing on pitch so time for cabinet and MP's to get behind May, there is argument for sake of argument in politics right now, Frank Field is her political hero
-Bridgen says since so many of cabinet Brexiteer sold out (before Davis resigned), Rees-Mogg has risen as only credible candidate and sure he will be in cabinet soon, is prepared to do no confidence letter
-Remain's Dr Lee calls Brexit plan worst of all worlds and wants second referendum
-Marcus Fysh describes Brexit deal as a stinker and if May is going to break manifesto commitments then there are consequences
-Simon Hart questions what Davis actually achieved
-Redwood says no deal achieves all but tariff free access, doubts Brexit deal will be accepted, still backs May due to her redlines but it means no deal is quite the possible outcome, EU won't accept current white paper
-James Cleverly remarks Boris must back government position on Brexit, else he would leave. Says he had concerns before he read the white paper and has been reassured now he has read it
-UKIP demands May resigns
-Bone says activists are refusing to campaign in protest at May's Brexit plan
-Boris PPS Conor Burns warns more resignations could follow
-Farage indicates he may seek to be UKIP leader when Batten's term ends if not the Brexit he wants
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-Kuessenberg
on Davis going, Schofield says
May is weaked but probably hags on, friend Goodman on
some of Davis thinking, Katy Balls on
tensions between him and May, Iain Dale defends
Davis-Matthew Norman on
May's strategy and Bridgen's offensive stupidity-Ben Chu on when to and when not to
listen to business voices-David Henig on
likely EU reaction-Grice on
Raab-Kuessenberg warns
Boris going is start of putsch-Gibbon on
leadership challenge likely