Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Liam Fox warns EU it will ‘harm its own people’ by failing to start post-Brexit trade talks Liam Fox has launched an outspoken attack on the EU, saying it will risk harming its own people if it refuses to enter talks on a post-Brexit trade deal within weeks. The International Trade Secretary also dismissed warnings that the huge tariffs slapped on Bombardier planes part-made in Belfast had harmed the chances of a UK-US trade deal – insisting there were no “parallels”. And he again called for Britain to crash out of the EU with “no deal” if Brussels cuts up rough, saying: “We don’t need one and we could make a very good success if we didn’t.” – Independent Liam Fox reveals what he does all day – Steerpike for the Spectator Leave and Remain voters united over refusal to pay Brexit bill It is no secret that the British are divided over Brexit. More than 16 months have passed since the referendum, and both politicians and voters remain deeply polarized. There is a striking lack of consensus about whether the country was right to vote for Brexit and what Brexit should look like. In her Florence speech last week, Prime Minister Theresa May sought to move the debate forward by proposing a two-year transition period, during which Britain should remain in the single market and be willing to pay significant financial contributions to the EU. But what do ordinary U.K. citizens think? – Politico Civil Servants claim May is ‘leaning towards Hammond’ over Boris… The prime minister — in Manchester this week for the Conservative Party’s annual conference — is trying to steer a course through the competing demands of hardline Brexiteers, led by Boris Johnson, who want a clear break with Brussels and those like Chancellor Philip Hammond who seek a “soft” divorce that maintains close regulatory alignment with the rest of the bloc to ensure the deepest possible trading relationship after exit day in 2019. U.K. officials who spoke to Politico on condition of anonymity believe May is “leaning” towards a lasting agreement with Brussels to maintain equivalent rules and regulations with the EU, potentially for decades after Brexit, in a move which would be far closer to Hammond’s position than Johnson’s. – Politico Theresa May allies dismiss Boris Johnson’s Brexit red lines as ‘political posturing’ – Telegraph Lord Heseltine says Boris Johnson’s Cabinet position ‘unsustainable’ – Sky News Senior Tories say they will back Theresa May if she sacks Boris – Daily Mail Tories talk economy amid Brexit row unrest – Sky News Theresa May refuses to deny Boris Johnson has become ‘unsackable’ – Evening Standard Help to Buy, and unruly ministers, leave the Tory conference underwhelmed on Day One – Mark Wallace for ConservativeHome …but she refuses to rule out the Foreign Secretary’s Brexit ‘red lines’ …The PM yesterday refused to shoot down the four Brexit red line demands her rebellious Foreign Secretary laid out on Saturday in an interview with The Sun. And, as the row overshadowed Day One of the Tories’ annual conference in Manchester, she was slammed for even refusing to deny he was “unsackable” from the Cabinet. In a move that will spark a fresh furore today, Boris told The Sun he wants Britain’s aid ministry to become part of his Foreign Office empire again. – The Sun Johnson springs to the top of ConHome Next Tory Leader survey – ConservativeHome European Parliament threatens veto over Johnson’s red lines Boris Johnson’s new negotiating red lines for Brexit will make it impossible for Britain to secure a transition deal with the EU, MEPs are to warn. The European parliament will tell Theresa May tomorrow that it will veto any deal unless Britain continues to accept European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings during any implementation period. Ending the jurisdiction of the court immediately at the point of Brexit was one of the four red lines set out by the foreign secretary over the weekend. He also demanded that no new EU directives or regulations should apply to Britain after Brexit and that the UK should not pay, or accept EU rules, to gain long-term access to the single market. He added that any transition deal should not last “a second more” than two years. – The Times Jacob Rees-Mogg says Brexit deal could take decades if the Government drag their feet The Eurosceptic MP also hit out at the Prime Minister’s “nasty” election campaign – and demanded Britain gets “the best deal” from negotiations with Europe. His comments at a fringe event of the Conservative Party Conference come as Theresa May attempts to satisfy the warring factions of her party, with some demanding a hard Brexit and others preferring a more gradual approach. But Mr Rees-Mogg claimed he “fully” supports the PM, and wants to serve the Government by explaining Brexit to the nation. He said: “I’m very keen to make the arguments about what we ought to be doing and to make them in public forums and to try and push for getting the best deal that we want and sticking to what people voted for. – Express Jacob Rees-Mogg is ‘absolutely fine’ with chlorine washed chicken. – Independent Rees-Mogg says if there is no Brexit deal “we pay them not a brass farthing” – ConservativeHome Moggmentum comes to Tory conference – Steerpike for The Spectator Will the Tories make such a mess of Brexit that they let Corbyn in? – Christopher Booker for the Telegraph (£) Brexit prompts the rise of the micro business More business-minded people are taking matters into their own hands. Figures from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy indicate that there are now more than 5.5m companies in the UK, and 99 per cent of these businesses are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). This figure is at a record high – jumping dramatically from 2010, when there were 4.5m SMEs, and from 2000 when there were 3.5m. It’s clear that small firms are now the engine of our economy. – City A.M. Matt Ridley: The case for free trade has never been stronger Recent studies have confirmed that commerce is the main cause of peace. “Within the developing world, economic development leads to interstate peace, whereas democracy does not,” concludes Faruk Ekmekci of Ipek University in Turkey. The evidence is overwhelming that markets do not just make people richer, they make people nicer too, less likely to fight and more likely to help each other.So why on earth has it become accepted wisdom that every move towards free markets and free trade is towards selfishness, conflict and greed, whereas the state is the source of all kindness? – Matt Ridley for The Times (£) Isabel Hardman: Nicky Morgan says EU rebels can’t have anything to do with the Labour frontbench Theresa May took just 15 seconds to sack Nicky Morgan as Education Secretary. Morgan’s revenge has taken a little longer. First, she criticised the Prime Minister’s expensive trousers, but once she’d apologised for that, the Loughborough MP then set herself up as something far more troublesome in the long-term than a fashion critic. Not only is she a prominent campaigner against a Hard Brexit, Morgan is also the chair of the Treasury Select Committee, one of the most powerful backbench operations around.- Isabel Hardman for The Spectator Major General Julian Thompson: We’ve stumbled into a Brexit trap over defence In the heady days after the Brexit vote, those who had cast their ballot in favour of leaving the EU might have been forgiven for believing that the decision was made. Alea iacta est, as Caesar said when crossing the Rubicon. The die is cast. As it turns out, in modern military matters, such issues have proved to be far from certain. It has taken some time for Whitehall to settle with clarity on what Brexit means in a number of areas. Only now are mandarins finally absorbing that it is necessary to leave the Single Market and the Customs Union. – Julian Thompson for ConservativeWoman John Redwood: Mr Macron’s EU vision In a long speech the French President sought to wrestle the EU agenda his way at the moment of maximum weakness for Germany following her election. His speech was very like that of the President of the EU Commission. He seeks an EU budget, Finance Minister and much more integration. He wants a stronger EU foreign policy backed by EU forces. The speech was well received in Brussels. The problem he still faces is this vision will only happen on German terms. Mrs Merkel is weakened by her election losses. – John Redwood’s Diary Lutfey Siddiqi: Singapore is a great Brexit model, but is Britain up to the job? In the debate over Britain’s future after Brexit, the “Singapore model” is often raised, and just as often demonised. In the summer Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, told Le Monde that the UK would not become a low-tax, low regulation nation off the coast of Europe. But why not? In absolute terms, five million Singaporeans export almost as much every year as 60 million Britons, running a trade surplus of 15 per cent compared to a six per cent deficit. – Lutfey Siddiqifor the Telegraph (£) Bob Blackman: Britain, Brexit and Baku Our European Union membership prevents us from fully capitalising on the trade opportunities stemming from our existing relationships with developing nations like Azerbaijan. Free from the EU we can focus on what really matters: true economic cooperation and trade based on mutual respect and friendship. On Thursday 23 June, 2016, the UK voted to leave the European Union in a referendum which split the country almost down the middle. On a turnout of 72 per cent the British people voted by 52 per cent to 48 per cent to leave the EU, and Article 50 was tabled on 30th March 2017 to formally trigger the process. – Bob Blackman MP for CommentCentral Brexit in brief Will Brexit mean we are free to go on poisoning our bees? – Ken Thompson for the Telegraph The only “miracle” needed for Brexit negotiations is for Juncker to stop playing games – Nadhim Zahawi MP for ConservativeHome Richard Branson claims Brexit has cost “tens of millions of pounds” – City A.M. Profits soar by 38pc at British arm of activist investor Elliott – Telegraph Barnier’s plot to keep Britain in the EU – Express