Taking the 20/1 on Philip Hammond being the first to leave the cabinet
Excl: Cabinet split on Brexit growing over whether to stay in EU's customs union – 'will see Hammond or Fox walking'https://t.co/w7KaQJ4Ui4
— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) October 5, 2016
A few days ago The Sun reported that
A MAJOR Cabinet split on Brexit is brewing over whether to sever all links with the EU on customs controls, The Sun can reveal.
One of Theresa May’s top table team has even predicted there will be resignations from it over the tinderbox issue.
Whether to push for Britain to stay in the EU’s customs union is shaping up to be the biggest dilemma for the PM’s Brexit negotiating strategy.
The formal union – an element of the single market – sees goods pass between member states without any checks, delays or tariffs.
On the “hard Brexit” fringe of the Cabinet, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox is pushing for a clean break from the customs union to give the UK the maximum ability to strike trade deals elsewhere in the world.
But he is pitted against Chancellor Philip Hammond and, increasingly, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, The Sun has been told.
Both Tory heavyweights have serious fears over the extra costs that delays and tariffs will inflict on British businesses and jobs.
One Cabinet minister told The Sun: “In my view, there is no way Liam and Philip can ever agree on this.
“They are ideologically too far apart, and one of them will end up walking.”
Today’s Sunday Telegraph follows on from that Sun story
A new cabinet split over the handling of Brexit has emerged as ministers privately attacked each other over how to approach EU negotiations.
Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, has been blamed for talking down Britain’s hopes of getting a good deal and attacked for his “relentless pessimism”.
One cabinet colleague went as far saying that Mr Hammond, who voted to stay in the EU, should “watch his back” and could lose his job.
However friends of Mr Hammond are furious with the “nonsense and garbage” that Eurosceptics have said about the strength of Britain’s hand in talks.
“The obligation is on the Brexit leaders to now tell the British public some hard truths,” a Treasury figure said.
Iff (hard) Brexit is the economic disaster some fear it will be, I can foresee the circumstances where Philip Hammond resigns, who would want that on your CV? It would be better if history remembers you as the Chancellor who resigned warning about the looming disaster.
It should also be remembered that the Tories do have a history for very messy splits when it comes to trade deals and tariffs, so Hammond maybe forced out by the hard Brexiteers even if he doesn’t quit, especially if Philip Hammond really does think he himself as unsackable, in politics, as was in Ancient Greek, nemesis has a tendency to follow hubris.
Ladbrokes are offering a market on the first minister to leave the cabinet, Philip Hammond was 25/1 the other day, he’s now 20/1 and still think that is value, though I am content with the 10/1 I placed in August on Liam Fox being first to leave the cabinet as he is currently 3/1 in this market.
