“It brings back control of our borders, our money and our laws.” The Prime Minister’s Downing Street statement – full text
“And it does so while protecting jobs, protecting our security and protecting the integrity of the United Kingdom.”
Mordaunt: Let’s champion “the invisible women who keep…our nation going.” Her women’s suffrage centenary speech: full text
“There’s a lot of focus on women in boardrooms…But this is not the place where business is being re-imagined.”
Candidate applications open for Carshalton & Wallington, Newport West and North Norfolk
Two seats held by the Liberal Democrats and one held by Labour form the latest tranche of Tory targets.
May rebuffs the Gang of Five. “The Withdrawal Agreement has been agreed in full.” Her CBI speech: full text.
“That agreement is a good one for the UK. It fulfils the wishes of the British people as expressed in the 2016 referendum.”
From an analysis of the Withdrawal Agreement’s text: How the Irish protocol would separate Great Britain from Northern Ireland.
It can’t have been Parliament’s intention to allow Northern Ireland to form part of a separate customs territory to Great Britain for any purpose.
From an analysis of the Withdrawal Agreement text: May’s broken promises on the ECJ, the backstop, customs – and dividing the UK
Article 20 says that the backstop will only ‘cease to apply’ if ‘the Union and United Kingdom decide jointly’ that it should end – no sovereign right for the UK to leave.
Polite discomfort (or “a load of arse-kissing”) on the Prime Minister’s conference call with senior Tory activists
“No-one had a pop at her”, I’m told – but equally her answers don’t seem to have won round the assembled Association officers.
Hammond, Penrose, and Kwarteng join the Government as May circles the wagons
The Prime Minister has eschewed the chance to bind waverers with patronage in favour of promoting able loyalists who won’t make trouble.
Rolling list of Government resignations today
They are now coming so fast as to necessitate this list, which will be updated as the day continues.
WATCH: “It delivers in ways that many said could simply not be done.” May’s Commons statement. Full text.
“If we get behind a deal, we can bring our country back together and seize the opportunities that lie ahead.”
“We have gone from no deal is better than a bad deal, to any deal is better than no deal.” McVey’s resignation letter – full text
“I cannot defend this, and I cannot vote for this deal. I could not look my constituents in the eye were I to do that. I therefore have no alternative but to resign…”
“I cannot reconcile the terms of the proposed deal with the promises we made to the country.” Raab’s resignation letter – full text
“No democratic nation has ever signed up to be bound by such an extensive regime, imposed externally without any democratic control… nor the ability to decide to exit”.
“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?
The draft Political Declaration on the Framework of the Future Relationship: link to full text
A mere seven pages rather than the three-figure total for the Withdrawal Agreement. Ambiguity reigns.
The draft Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU: link to full text
It’s 585 pages in all. The arbitration section runs from page 281 to page 295. The Northern Ireland protocal covers pages 302 to 311.