The Costa conscience
Give the man a job. How about the one that he held yesterday morning? (Since, in anything but the narrowest sense, the decision to lose him was crackers.)
The 22 Conservative MPs who voted against the Cooper amendment
We understand that 88 other Tory backbenchers didn’t vote on it, including Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab and Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Deal or delay. The full text of the Prime Minister’s Brexit statement
“An extension cannot take no deal off the table. The only way to do that is to revoke Article 50, which I shall not do.“
“Ignore the naysayers, ignore the doom-mongers. Ignore those who keep talking us down.” – Tugendhat’s Spring Forum speech
“Yes, there are challenges…but this is a moment for imaginative thinking.” Read his full foreign policy analysis.
May responds: “I am saddened… But by delivering on our manifesto commitment we are doing the right thing for our country.”
“I am determined that under my leadership the Conservative Party will always offer the decent, moderate and patriotic politics that the people of this country deserve.”
The Group of Three’s full resignation letter: “We no longer feel we can remain in the Party…so firmly in the grip of the ERG and DUP.”
“There is a failure of politics in general, not just in the Conservative Party but in both main parties as they move to the fringes.”
“We are leaving the Labour Party to sit as the Independent Group of Members of Parliament.” Launch statement – full text
“Labour… is passive in circumstances of international humanitarian distress; is hostile to businesses large and small; and threatens to destabilise the British economy”.
“History will judge us all.” May’s letter to Tory MPs: full text
The Prime Minister pleads for support – and says that Cox will be making a major speech on the backstop this week.
Nearly a quarter of Conservative MPs failed to support the Prime Minister yesterday
A mass of ERG and other hard Brexiteers band together with a liberal sprinkling of Remainers.
A dozen more seats open for candidate applications
Dagenham and Rainham, Bury South, Cardiff North and Bassetlaw are among the new tranche seeking a Conservative candidate.
Boles fights back against rulebook warfare with a loophole of his own
His association executive is expected to demand tonight that he makes his intentions clear. But the constitution allows him to simply refuse to answer.
“Defence will be pivotal in reinforcing Britain’s role as an outward-looking nation.” Williamson’s speech to the RUSI – full text
“If we are to live up to our global role then our armed forces must continue to be a lethal fighting force fully adapted to the demands of 21st-century warfare.”
Grantham and Stamford Association Chairman expects proceedings against Boles to begin next week
The latest email to local members confirms ConservativeHome’s recent report.
The Malthouse Compromise – an official explainer in full
We have received full details of the plan and offer it without comment for the interest of our readers.
“A nation is a human thing. Influence is, at least in part, a reflection of our own self confidence.” Fox’s speech to Policy Exchange – full text
“We have so much to offer – to ourselves and to the world around us. A confident Britain will help build a confident future for all.”