Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Philip Hammond suggests he would prefer a second referendum over an election to break the Brexit deadlock… Philip Hammond has suggested he would favour a second referendum over a general election to break the Brexit deadlock if MPs cannot agree a way forward. The Chancellor said it was his “strong preference” for Parliament to find a way through the current impasse but if that proved impossible “clearly it will have to be remitted back to the people”. He said he was unsure a general election would resolve the issue given how badly divided both the Tories and the Labour Party are over the UK’s departure from the EU as he hinted he would prefer a second public vote. Meanwhile, he also left open the possibility of entering the Tory leadership race if he concluded that none of the other candidates adequately represented his views on Brexit. But he admitted he was a “divisive figure” within the Conservative Party, he would be unlikely to win and it would be better for a “fresher face” to succeed Theresa May. – Telegraph (£) Philip Hammond warns Tories over pursuing no-deal Brexit – The Times (£) …and even considers running for the Conservative leadership… Philip Hammond has announced he could run for leadership of the Conservative party if none of the other eleven candidates take a pragmatic approach to resolving the Brexit deadlock. The chancellor, who has attracted the ire of hardline Brexiters for his apparent unwillingness to leave the EU without a deal, acknowledged that some see him as a “divisive figure” and that a “fresher face” might be better placed to represent his views. “As long as I am confident that the views I hold are properly represented in the competition, I won’t feel a need to take part,” he told the BBC. – FT (£) …as a shock new Westminster poll has the Lib Dems and Brexit Party surging ahead of Labour and the Tories The Liberal Democrats have surged into first place ahead of the Conservatives, Labour and the Brexit Party, a poll has revealed. The pro-Remain party topped the Times/YouGov survey with 24 per cent, the first time it has been in the lead since 2010 under Sir Nick Clegg’s leadership. Support for the Brexit Party, which came first in the European parliament elections on 31.6 per cent, dropped back. Twenty-two per cent of voters would back the party if a general election were held now, the poll found. The Tories and Labour were tied on 19 per cent, with the Greens on 8 per cent. It is unprecedented for two challenger parties to take the top places in a voting intention poll, according to Anthony Wells, of YouGov. The findings add to signs that the electorate is fracturing between those who support a no-deal Brexit and those who want to reverse the 2016 referendum result. The poll found that nearly 70 per cent of voters believed Brexit was the most important issue facing Britain. – The Times (£) Leading German politician claims a second referendum is the price of not vetoing a Brexit extension… Germany will block another delay to Brexit at the European Council unless the UK announces a second referendum or general election by October, the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee chair has warned. In a sign that Berlin is near the end of its tether on Brexit, Norbert Rottgen, a former minister and senior MP for Germany’s ruling CDU party, said there could be no extension to the Article 50 process unless the UK offered a concrete reason, such as a public vote. He also warned Tory leadership candidates against trying to “blackmail” the EU by threatening to leave with no deal unless the Brexit deal is changed. The Telegraph understands the EU is split on the question of an extension, with several member states in favour of granting more delays to avoid a ‘no deal’ scenario, while others, such as France, have adopted a tougher line. – Telegraph (£) …as Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier claims the EU won’t offer a better deal… EU Brexit boss Michel Barnier has dashed Tory leadership hopefuls’ chance of a better deal – saying this is the only one they’re offering. And he blasted Brits who voted for Brexit as being stuck in the past with too much “nostalgia” for how things used to be. He said in an interview with the New York Review of Books: “Looking at the causes of Brexit, we also find typically British reasons: the hope for a return to a powerful global Britain, nostalgia for the past—nostalgia serves no purpose in politics.” It was “too late” to stop the rise of populism in Britain but not elsewhere across the EU, he claimed. He said in an interview with the New York Review of Books: “Looking at the causes of Brexit, we also find typically British reasons: the hope for a return to a powerful global Britain, nostalgia for the past—nostalgia serves no purpose in politics.” It was “too late” to stop the rise of populism in Britain but not elsewhere across the EU, he claimed. – The Sun ..while Jeremy Corbyn maintains a second referendum is ‘some way off’ Jeremy Corbyn has said a second referendum is “some way off” and that Labour still wants to negotiate a better Brexit deal, resisting pressure from shadow cabinet ministers to commit to campaigning immediately for a public vote. Speaking in Dublin, the Labour leader said the only way to break the deadlock would be a general election or a second referendum after negotiating a softer Brexit deal with Brussels. Corbyn said there must not be a repeat of the 2016 referendum on Britain’s EU membership, and argued that Labour could strike a better agreement with Brussels that would include a customs union, which would then be put to a public vote. He said: “We don’t back a rerun of 2016. That happened. That is gone. What I do say is that if parliament comes to an agreement, then it’s reasonable, and if parliament wishes it, there should be a public vote on it but that is some way off.” – Guardian Mark Harper enters Tory leadership race saying he is untainted by Theresa May’s government… Mark Harper has become the twelfth Tory MP to enter the leadership race as he said he is the only candidate not tainted by serving in Theresa May’s government. The former chief whip admits he is the “underdog” in the race but said he has an edge against ministers who have “shared the responsibility” for Mrs May’s failure to deliver Brexit. In an interview with the Telegraph, Mr Harper said watching the other candidates over the past week convinced him to run. “We’ve seen basically the same faces saying the same things that they’ve been saying for the last three years,” he said. – Telegraph (£) …while 1922 Committee will review election rules as field to replace Theresa May swells Some Tory leadership hopefuls “are clearly positioning themselves for a Cabinet job” and so it is time to review how the race is run in the future, a member of the powerful 1922 Committee has revealed. As little-known Hereford and South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman declared his intention to stand swelling the field to 12 if he does so, Nigel Evans, an executive member of the 1922 told ITV News it was in danger of getting out of hand. He said that with days still to go before declarations close, the field could reach up to 20 – and some candidates were or would be “clearly positioning themselves for a Cabinet job”, rather than hoping to be the next leader, and that was wrong. Mr Evans revealed the Committee is due to meet next Tuesday and a review of how many publicly-declared backers potential candidates would need before standing was high on the agenda. – ITV News Donald Trump comes close to endorsing ‘friend’ Boris Johnson as his pick to succeed May… Donald Trump has come close to endorsing his “friend” Boris Johnson as his pick to succeed Theresa May as prime minister ahead of his state visit to the UK next week. The US President described Mr Johnson, along with Nigel Farage, as “very good guys” as he said “maybe it is not my business to support people”. His comments are likely to electrify the Tory leadership contest and place him at the heart of the battle to succeed Mrs May when he arrives in Britain on June 3. Speaking to the media in the US, he said: “Nigel Farage is a friend of mine. Boris is a friend of mine. They are two very good guys, very interesting people. Nigel has had a big victory, he has picked up 32 per cent of the vote, starting from nothing and I think they are big powers over there. I think they have done a good job.” – Telegraph (£) Trump praises Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party win – The Times (£) …as it emerges the Remain activist ‘prosecuting’ Johnson condemned the electorate as ‘thick’ A Remain activist bringing a private prosecution against Boris Johnson over his Brexit campaign condemned the British people as “thick” just weeks after they voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum. In a filmed debate, Marcus Ball laughed when challenged about his opinions of the electorate and the referendum process. He then claimed voters were “not capable of making complex decisions” about whether or not to leave the European Union. In August 2016 video, Mr Ball, now 29, was asked by Tom Slater, founder of the Invoke Article 50 Now! campaign, whether he thought voters were “thick and easily lied to or misled”? Mr Ball, who founded Brexit Justice Ltd in December that year, grinned before replying: “Yes, to my opinion.” – Telegraph (£) Tory peer blasted for saying Britain is a Remain country and branding Leavers ‘uncomfortable in their own skin’ A Tory peer has been blasted for saying Brexiteers are all “wrong” and that the UK is a Remain country. Baroness Wheatcroft said anyone opposed to the EU was “uncomfortable in their own skin” earlier today. Speaking on LBC earlier she infuriated listeners, saying: “They are very uncomfortable with the situation in this country and also in their skins. And she added: “There are a considerable number of people who feel very disgruntled with life in general”. “Why would you want to bolt the door in their face?” presenter Nick Ferrari asked. “Because they’re wrong,” she replied. “It’s not enough to win in an election.” – The Sun Remainer Tory peer sparks fury by claiming Brexit voters were just ‘disgruntled with life’ – The Sun Cherie Blair ‘did not vote Labour’ at EU elections Cherie Blair, the wife of the former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair, voted for the Liberal Democrats in the European elections, ITV News understands. Sources close to Mrs Blair, who is still a Labour member, told ITV News she “did not vote” for the party and was “happy for it to be known”. Earlier this week, Mr Blair’s former Director of Communications Alastair Campbell was expelled from the Labour Party after admitting he voted for the Lib Dems. A number of high profile Labour figures have since publicly declared they also voted for another parties because of Jeremy Corbyn’s ambiguous position on Brexit, including former ministers Charles Clarke, Bob Ainsworth and Betty Boothroyd. – ITV News Lib Dem leadership rivals hope to keep riding the Europhile wave The Liberal Democrats are relevant again, and that means that who they choose as their next leader is relevant too. This morning Sir Ed Davey, the former energy secretary during the coalition, fired the starting gun on the second most interesting leadership campaign taking place at present. A new leader will be in place by July 23. Sir Vince Cable, the serving leader, announced his intention to stand down this year. His tenure as leader at that point had been a quiet failure. Now he is one of the few politicians whose political career has ended in success. A consequence of the party’s extraordinary surge in the European elections campaign — finishing second, and ahead of both Labour and the Conservatives — is that the leadership campaign is forward-looking. Whereas it might have been dominated by questions about the coalition government with the Conservatives, whether it was a mistake and what they should have done differently, the questions now are about the Liberal Democrats’ future. – The Times (£) John Baron: Willingness to embrace ‘no deal’ exit is key to Brussels Brexit stand-off The next Prime Minister must be fully committed to an exit on WTO terms, and should ramp up all necessary preparatory work – this should not be too difficult, as Theresa May confirmed to me earlier this year that all preparations had been completed for a WTO exit on 29th March. If nothing else, preparing for a WTO Brexit makes a renegotiated Withdrawal Agreement much more likely. If this gambit fails, then we leave the EU with a clean break – and begin once again to forge our own way in the world. – John Baron MP for CommentCentral Douglas Carswell: Nigel Farage is the one figure in British politics who has learnt from his mistakes For a start, the party has mastered the art (or should one say, science) of online campaigning. They are no longer in the business of merely holding meetings for a few of the faithful in the backrooms of pubs. They know how to reach millions, with messages that resonate. The new party has broadened its appeal, with the sort of beyond-the-base strategy that was so badly lacking in 2015. The Brexit Party is not – thus far – all about Nigel, either. In the recent Euro elections, it fielded an impressive range of candidates – entrepreneurs, charity sector professionals, business owners. They looked a party of all Britain and all Britons. So far, the party seems to have a message discipline that was not always there with UKIP. There have been precious few off-piste comments about HIV or immigration, for instance. Unlike in the run up to the 2015 election, the party has stuck to a simple message; the SW1 elite have failed to honour the referendum result. – Douglas Carswell for CapX Nick De Bois: I’ve watched Dominic Raab negotiate with Brussels. It’s no wonder they’re so scared of him In only a few short weeks, Britain will have a new prime minister. Regardless of who wins the leadership election, there will be one pressing priority for whomever walks through the door of No10 – the need to negotiate changes to the Brexit deal if it is to secure parliamentary support. It’s therefore no surprise that Brussels is watching the contest very closely and will take a view of who they might “prefer”. After all, I have watched Dominic Raab look Michel Barnier in the eye and it wasn’t Dominic who blinked first. It was a rare moment of tension in the negotiating room when an exchange between the two took place on the question of an Irish hard border. Michel always sought to leverage the matter of Northern Ireland as a means to try and deliver negotiating advantage in the meetings of principles that, at Dominic’s insistence, took place almost weekly from the moment he became Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union in July 2019. – Nick De Bois for the Telegraph (£) Tom Harris: Scare tactics won’t beat the Brexit Party in the Peterborough by-election In order to be truly successful, Nigel Farage needs to make everything about him. As his party’s greatest asset and as one of the country’s best known politicians, he knows he needs to be front and centre of every major political debate between now and the general election. It is therefore in the interests of the establishment parties to ensure that he is marginalised and, as far as possible, ignored. For any direct criticism of Farage has often been seen as an attack on the substantial numbers of voters who might be considering supporting him. “Handle with care” might be the watch words for anyone considering taking the newly re-elected MEP on. So anyway, what’s Gordon Brown up to today? – Tom Harris for the Telegraph (£) Comment in Brief It’s time for servant leadership that will listen to the people – Penny Mordaunt MP for Conservative Home How a new British prime minister can still avoid a head-on collision with Europe – Peter Foster for the Telegraph (£) Only a pro-Brexit successor to pro-EU Theresa May can restore the Special Relationship to greatness – Nile Gardiner for the Telegraph (£) Why I am voting for Johnson – Alok Sharma MP for Conservative Home A second referendum will sort everything, or maybe not – Walter Ellis for Reaction (£) Johnson’s prosecution is just the latest push in a long campaign of Remainer lawfare – Henry Hill for Conservative Home Hypocritical Remainers are disturbingly obsessed with crushing Boris Johnson – Tom Harwood for the Telegraph (£) The Brexit Party’s free-speech problem – Spiked editorial Brexit and the hole in the heart of Labour – Paul T Horgan for Conservative Woman News in Brief Donations to Conservatives halve amid anger over Theresa May’s leadership – Independent Britain says more than 750,000 EU nationals have applied to stay in UK after Brexit – Reuters MPs fear EU settlement scheme will lead to ‘new Windrush’ – Sky News Irish foreign minister says new PM could change ‘Brexit package’ – Reuters Trump ready to help out on Brexit, U.S. national security adviser says – Reuters Lib Dem says Queen could be called upon to stop no-deal Brexit – Sky News Plaid urges Remain party to work together – BBC News Business lobby group CBI warns Tories over no-deal Brexit – BBC News Brown: Tory candidates must disown ‘back-seat driver’ Farage – Sky News Boris Johnson strikes back against Tory rivals and will unveil ‘army’ of backers on social media – The Sun Peterborough by-election Tory candidate says PM’s departure boosts his chance of winning the seat – The Sun