“Like trying to play three dimensional chess when the pieces are mice.” Our Cabinet meeting take-out.
The Government has almost certainly lost the DUP – and its majority. Was this sufficiently stressed round the table yesterday?
May statement due for 17.00 pulled. Cabinet may not finish until after 19.00.
Interpretation one: its members are talking at length, but there’s no real resistance to the Prime Minister’s draft Brexit plan. Interpretation two: it is running into trouble.
The boy who cried 48 letters
If Graham Brady suddenly emerges this week to declare that a confidence vote is on, don’t be taken by surprise.
May’s choice today. The possibility of her Government collapsing soon…or the probability of it doing so now
The DUP hates the idea of Corbyn in Downing Street. But it is very hard to imagine it waving the draft deal through.
Raab, Cox, Gove, Fox, Mordaunt – all these Cabinet members, and others, should prepare to resign today
They should first seek to persuade May not to press for a decision, since there will have been no opportunity for full timely study of the text.
Raab, Cox, Gove, Fox, Mordaunt – all these Cabinet members, and others, should resign tomorrow if necessary.
They mustn’t let Downing Street bounce them into agreeing a 500-plus page deal that they won’t have had time to study properly.
Will the ERG vote against the Government today?
Labour’s debate on the disclosure of legal advice about any Brexit agreement will be well worth keeping an eye on.
Norman replaces Johnson at Transport
While Andrew Jones returns as an Under-Secretary to the department from which he was removed as an Under-Secretary.
Asia Bibi should be offered asylum in Britain
Hers is a test case for Ministers, for Muslim organisations in Britain, for free speech – for what sort of country we want to be.
The Molotov-Ribbentrop, sorry, Johnson-Johnson pact
We leave it to our readers to decide which is which, but there can be no doubt about the identity of the corpse.
The beauty of Scruton
The campaign against him is driven by the knowledge that May agrees with his views on design – and fear that the Government will act on them.
Full timely study. The basis on which Cabinet members should see legal advice on any Brexit deal.
There is no case for withholding it from them, for it only being shown after the event, or for not allowing them to study it.
Project Fear Three. Coming your way soon, courtesy of Downing Street?
Obama’s EU referendum intervention didn’t help deliver a Remain result for Cameron. It’s not clear that the Government has learned from the experience.
Operation Gobble. May promotes Leavers within the Government…with an eye on a coming Brexit vote.
Meanwhile, the Government has quietly been appointing more trade emissaries during the last few months.
How a Brexit deal would be done
What will happen this week? When could a summit take place? What would the Cabinet say – and what might the Attorney General do?