Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team PM takes Cabinet north for Brexit away-day Theresa May is taking her cabinet on a trip to Gateshead as she prepares to sell her Brexit plan to the EU over the summer amid struggles to maintain discipline over her own MPs. It comes after Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab indicated he still needs to persuade some members of Mrs May’s cabinet to get behind the Chequers compromise deal on EU withdrawal aims… The Prime Minister is hoping to present Monday’s cabinet’s visit to the north east as a commitment to regional development post Brexit. The meeting will see announcements of backing for technology and manufacturing development in the region. – Sky News Businesses in England’s North East are ‘getting on with Brexit’ with sentiment at 2 year high among mid-sized businesses – FT (£) Theresa May takes Cabinet meeting to Gateshead and will meet workers in bid to sell her soft Brexit plans in the North – The Sun Theresa May to take her Brexit roadshow to the north-east – Guardian Theresa May to send ministers across EU to sell Brexit plan – FT (£) Theresa May braced for more Cabinet resignations amid claims ally Chris Grayling will resign if UK makes more concessions to EU – Express Boris Johnson would be better than Theresa May to negotiate Brexit and lead the Tories, voters say – The Sun Mayday! It’s time to lead – Nick Ferrari for the Express Dominic Raab says that a Brexit deal can be done by October… A deal with the EU can be reached by October but the UK is preparing for the possibility of no deal, Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has said. He said he would return to Brussels for talks on Thursday and strain “every sinew” to get “the best deal”. But the government had plans in place in case talks did not end well, he told the BBC… Mr Raab told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show if the “energy, ambition and pragmatism” the UK brought to negotiations was reciprocated, a deal would be done in October. He noted that 80% of the withdrawal agreement was already settled… Asked about European Commission comments that there were no arrangements in place for UK and EU expats in the event of no deal, Mr Raab said: “Well, I think that’s a rather irresponsible thing to be coming from the other side. We ought to be trying to reassure citizens on the continent and also here. There is obviously an attempt to try and ramp up the pressure.” – BBC News Brexit boss Dominic Raab claims deal could be struck by October and vows ‘Britain will thrive whatever happens’ – The Sun Dominic Raab: Britain won’t pay divorce bill without trade deal – Politico EU citizens with ‘settled status’ should be given physical residency cards post-Brexit, say MPs – The Sun Britain should not pay the EU a penny of the £39bn ‘divorce fee’ before it has signed a bumper trade deal – The Sun says > WATCH: Dominic Raab’s interview with Andrew Marr …as he says that Britain will ‘thrive’ even if there is no Brexit deal, after David Davis calls on the PM to ‘reset’ her plan… Britain will “thrive” even if there is no Brexit deal, Dominic Raab has said, as his predecessor David Davis called on the Prime Minister to “reset” her Brexit plan and prepare a “reserve parachute” in case no agreement is reached. Mr Raab said there was “tremendous pressure” on the EU to secure a deal as he branded his counterparts “irresponsible” for failing to reassure British citizens living abroad about their rights after Brexit… It came as Mr Davis, the former Brexit secretary, told a Sunday newspaper that the Prime Minister should tear up her Brexit White Paper and start again because it is not good enough… He told the Sunday Express: “We’re going to have to do a reset and come back and look at it all again. What we mustn’t do is leave everything on the table and offer something else on top. “One of the traditional tactics of the EU is to say: ‘OK, but not enough’ and pocket what they’ve already been given. We can’t allow that. We’ll have to say: ‘Sorry, if that deal’s not enough then it’s no longer available’. – Telegraph Jeremy Hunt says EU must help on Brexit to avoid ‘no deal by accident’ – Bloomberg Brussels rejects UK’s financial services Brexit plan – FT (£) No deal on Brexit ‘risks civil unrest’, claims Amazon boss – The Times (£) Home Office doesn’t know how many customs officers it has despite looming Brexit ‘no deal’ – Independent Time is running out to negotiate a deal between Britain and the EU that safeguards the livelihoods of citizens and businesses. The costs of failure would be high – Times leader (£) …while May urged to create ‘world trade deal’ with no divorce payout or EU power Pressure is mounting on Theresa May to consider a new World Trade Deal after the EU rejected her Chequers plan for Brexit last week. The proposal for a bold new World Trade Deal would, according to leading economic experts, end austerity with a boost of £80 billion a year and guarantee that Britain is free of Brussels rule… It is understood that three Cabinet Brexiteers – work and pensions secretary Esther McVey, international development secretary Penny Mordaunt and transport secretary Chris Grayling – are considering joining Boris Johnson and David Davis in resigning over Chequers… Jacob Ress-Mogg, the leader of the powerful European Research Group, told the Daily Express: “We ought not to be afraid of a World Trade Deal based on a World Trade Organisation (WTO) solution which is how we do 60 per cent of our international trade already.” Former Brexit minister David Jones said: “Resorting to a World Trade deal would not cause any problems.” … International economic lawyer David Collins said: “Far from crashing out of the EU or falling off the ‘cliff edge’, dealing with the EU on WTO terms is realistic and workable.” – Express No time to relax in the battle for ‘real’ Brexit – Express editorial > Professor David Collins on BrexitCentral: Busting the Remain-inspired myths about trade on WTO terms Article 50 extension would need major shift in UK politics, say EU officials The UK will not be saved from crashing out of the EU via an extension of the article 50 negotiations unless there is a major realignment in British politics, most likely through a second referendum or general election, senior diplomats and European commission officials have disclosed. Among those calling for Theresa May to be ready to ask for a prolongation of the UK’s membership beyond 29 March 2019 should a no-deal scenario appear likely are the Commons’ exiting the EU select committee, chaired by Hilary Benn, and the former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg… EU officials and diplomats have told the Guardian it would instead require a fundamental shift in British politics for there to be any value for the EU in an extension of the UK’s membership. That position is echoed in Berlin and Paris, among other EU capitals. Article 50 can only be extended by the unanimous agreement of the 27 other member states, and on the request of the withdrawing state, which May has already said she is not prepared to do. – Guardian EU warns Brexit talks cannot be extended unless there is another referendum – Express Sir Vince Cable confirms he missed key Brexit votes to attend ‘confidential dinner’ where ‘anti-Brexit movement was discussed’… Sir Vince Cable has confirmed that he missed two knife-edge votes in the Commons last week to attend a “private and confidential dinner” where the idea of a new anti-Brexit party was reportedly discussed. The Liberal Democrat leader admitted it was a “mistake” to miss last week’s crunch vote on the Brexit customs bill, but insisted that holding meetings with “people in other parties” was “part of the job”. Confirming reports about his whereabouts on Monday evening, Sir Vince said he had been holding “confidential discussions” at a private dinner but refused to reveal who he had been meeting with. However, a senior Lib Dem source said on Sunday Sir Vince had met with a cross-party group, including a number of Labour Party figures, during which the subject of a new political party was discussed. – Telegraph (£) Sir Vince Cable admits missing key Brexit vote to secretly plot how to stop our EU exit – The Sun Vince Cable denies plotting new anti-Brexit centrist party – Guardian …as Lib Dems plot to oust Cable as leader… Liberal Democrats are understood to be plotting to replace Sir Vince Cable as party leader with a 35-year-old female MP. Senior Lib Dems are set to meet this week to discuss pushing forward Layla Moran, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, to take the helm of the party. The former teacher, who arrived in the Commons in the snap election last year, is the party’s education spokeswoman. Sir Vince, 75, was criticised last week after he and the party’s former leader, Tim Farron, missed a knife-edge vote on Brexit legislation that Theresa May won by only three votes… A source told The Times that a significant party donor had declared Sir Vince “on strike two” for missing the vote. The first strike was the embarrassment in March when the liberal prime ministers of eight European states denied issuing a joint statement put out by the Lib Dems backing a referendum on the final Brexit deal… However, Jo Swinson, MP for East Dunbartonshire, the deputy party leader, remains the favourite to replace Sir Vince. – The Times (£) …while Sir John Major suggests a second EU referendum is ‘morally justified’ His call for a another vote directly contradicts his comments before the June 2016 referendum, when he said a second vote wouldn’t be “politically credible” adding: “If we vote to stay out, then we are out and we will have to get on with it.” But yesterday Europhiles jumped on his rallying cry – with senior Tory rebel Dominic Grieve telling Sky News that a second referendum “may be the only solution”… Asked if he backed a second referendum, Sir John said: “It has downsides. I mean, frankly, a second vote has democratic downsides. It has difficulties. But is it morally justified? I think it is.” … Meanwhile Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab hit out at Remainers claiming that Vote Leave cheated by breaching spending limits in the referendum. He said their criticism was “last-ditch tactics by some to try and stop Brexit from happening”. Mr Raab added: “Discrediting the referendum, calling for second referendums, I don’t think that helps at all.” – The Sun Britain could accidentally ‘stumble’ into a general election if MPs remain bitterly divided over Brexit, Sir John Major warns – The Sun Brexit is a failure and it’s tearing the Tories apart, says Grieve as he calls for second referendum – The Times (£) Chief Remoaner Dominic Grieve claims no-deal would put Britain in ‘state of emergency’ but Dominic Raab says we’ll thrive no matter what – The Sun Jobs bonanza as economy surges after Brexit vote Unemployment and manufacturing figures have revealed that Britain’s economy is growing in strength in the wake of the vote to leave the EU. According to Department for Work and Pensions figures long-term unemployment has halved since 2010. Meanwhile, the Manufacturers’ Organisation (known as the EEF) has revealed that firms have enjoyed an “exceptional” 12 months in creating jobs… The data comes despite attempts by Remainers to undermine the economy with Project Fear claims aimed at reversing the Brexit referendum result. On jobs Britain is outcompeting its major competitors in Europe despite claims the vote to Leave would put thousands of people out of work… The long-term unemployment rate is now the joint second lowest in the EU – lower than France, Germany and the Netherlands. Figures released last month also show the proportion of workless households is at a record low. – Express Liam Fox launches bid for US trade deal and to join Pacific trade group even before Brexit is completed… Liam Fox today launches an audacious bid to kickstart a US trade deal and membership of a Pacific trade group, even before Brexit has been completed. The public will be asked its views on signing up to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) – made up of 11 countries bordering the Pacific Ocean or the South China Sea. Consultations will also be launched on agreements with the US, Australia and New Zealand, ahead of the international trade secretary flying to Washington for trade talks. – Independent …as it emerges Government trade official pocketed nearly £500,000 then quit before post-Brexit negotiations even started A top Government trade official pocketed nearly half a million pounds then quit before a single post-Brexit negotiation. Catherine Raines was paid a £62,800 “golden goodbye” when she resigned as director of International Trade and Investment in February… She also got a £40,000 performance-related bonus despite leaving on a voluntary exit scheme. This was on top of earning between £150,000 and £155,000 — more than the PM. The taxpayer also paid £39,000 into Ms Raines’ pension pot this year and £64,000 last year. It means she was paid up to £455,000 for working less than two years at the department. Its team must wait until March to even open negotiations with non-EU countries on trade deals. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox only launched the first consultations last week. – The Sun Express: No time to relax in the battle for ‘real’ Brexit With less than 10 months to go until the UK leaves the European Union, now is the time for Brexiteers to get their act together and take the fight to Theresa May. The Prime Minister is planning to send Cabinet ministers across the continent over the next few weeks to sell the benefits of her Chequers plan for Brexit. But as we reveal today pro-Brexit MPs are also planning their own summer campaign against it. They have drawn up a rota to ensure that they are out and about making their arguments criticising her proposals. With plans for her to meet the leaders of Austria, the Czech Republic and Estonia in the pipeline Mrs May clearly does not consider that the Chequers deal is dead. But it should be. No one likes it, not even, as we discovered last week, the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier. As David Davis says: she should withdraw her plan and replace it with a Canada-plus style free trade deal that the Conservative Party can really get behind. At the moment there’s a disconnect between No 10 and large parts of public opinion. – Express editorial Henry Newman: Pay more attention to Brussels: the EU’s inflexibility is raising the stakes At the moment, Michel Barnier’s team has put just one actual offer on the table for the UK after Brexit. We can have a free trade deal, with a series of commitments and additional obligations. Those go beyond those expected of other countries with such agreements, such as Canada or South Korea. The EU justifies treating us differently partly because we are nearer. But there’s a bitter coda to this free trade deal. It would only apply to Great Britain. Northern Ireland would have different rules set by the EU. It would no longer be part of the UK’s internal market. Its trade policy would fall under the control of Brussels. Even if you don’t see this as an attempted “annexation” by the EU of a province of the UK, it’s clearly Brussels interfering with the internal constitutional arrangements of a state… Overall Brussels is attempting to push the UK towards a situation where the only real option would leave us closer to the EU than Norway is, without even the ability to control our trade policy. But given the political culture of the UK, that’s a risk. No deal is looking ever more likely. The EU’s failure to be flexible, creative, and responsive is raising the stakes. Key member states need to engage urgently. Otherwise we risk seeing UK-EU relations soured for decades to come. – The Times (£) The Sun: Britain should not pay the EU a penny of the £39bn ‘divorce fee’ before it has signed a bumper trade deal There cannot be one sensible person who believes we should pay a penny of our £39billion “divorce fee” from the EU before it has signed off a bumper trade deal. We salute new Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab for ruling it out. We will hold the Government to it. It will not survive if it meekly hands that fortune to Brussels with nothing in return. We also applaud the energy Mr Raab is injecting into our plans to “thrive” even with no deal next March. That now seems the likeliest result after the latest rebuff. But it is disgraceful this planning was not done two years ago. Compare Mr Raab’s positivity with the tiresome Remoaning of John Major, now calling for the second referendum he used to rule out as “not credible” until Remain lost. Or the same demand and the same Eyeore-ish doom-mongering from Remain zealot Dominic Grieve, now predicting “catastrophe”. Faith in our democracy is already at dangerously low levels. But these sore losers would dismantle it entirely if that’s what it took to get their way. Will they ever give it a rest? – The Sun says Roger Bootle: The EU fears we will become an Atlantic version of Singapore What explains the EU’s policies on regulation and tariffs? Deluded and short-termist thinking and the power of vested interests. This is why the Chequers proposal to accept European regulations for goods was potentially so disastrous. Effectively it would tie us into whatever level of regulatory uncompetitiveness the EU chose. Nor would the effects be confined to goods. For the Chequers proposal effectively included regulatory alignment on social and employment policy. This could hobble our competitiveness across the whole economy. This is not accidental. It was thought necessary in order for the EU to take the Chequers proposal at all seriously. For within the EU there is a serious worry that if we left without being tied into EU regulatory systems then we would become a much more competitive economy, a sort of Atlantic version of Singapore. The evidence is plain that the EU is not good at economic governance. It stands in the way of markets when they know best and fails to do properly what necessarily falls within the competence of governments. Over-weening ambition in pursuit of political objectives regardless of the economic cost; obsession with integration and harmonisation; legislation and regulation interfering with the successful operation of business; this is the EU way. So it is scarcely surprising that over recent decades the EU’s economic performance has been relatively poor. – Roger Bootle for the Telegraph (£) Comment in brief Voters’ test for any Brexit deal. Britain mustn’t be out of Europe…but still run by Europe – Lord Ashcroft for ConservativeHome There must be no compromise on ending free movement – Chloe Westley for ConservativeHome News in brief Supreme Court to rule on Holyrood’s powers after Brexit – FT (£) Women’s rights under threat after Brexit, claims EHCR report – Guardian Protection for dolphins and seabirds ‘weaker under Brexit plans’, claims lobby group – Guardian Spanish conservatism’s new face – Politico