Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team New Brexit Secretary announced as Steve Barclay… Following the resignation of Dominic Raab over the draft Withdrawal Agreement, Theresa May has just appointed the relatively unknown middle-ranking minister Steve Barclay as the new Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. Elected Conservative MP for North East Cambridgeshire at the 2010 General Election, he spent most of his first term in Parliament on the Public Accounts Committee. After the 2015 General Election he was appointed to the Whips’ Office, where he served for two years before a brief stint as Economic Secretary to the Treasury between June 2017 and January 2018, since when he has been a Minister at the Department for Health and Social Care. At the 2016 referendum, he backed Leave, declaring in a tweet on referendum day: “Let’s believe in Britain not Brussels. It is time to have confidence in our country and take back control.” – BrexitCentral Stephen Barclay has been picked as the new Brexit secretary. – BBC News Stephen Barclay: Who is the new Brexit Secretary? – Sky News The Barclay brother-in-arms – Paul Goodman for ConservativeHome …after Michael Gove reportedly refused the role… Michael Gove is staying as DEFRA Secretary. Yesterday, Theresa May offered him the job of Brexit Secretary. Gove said that he could only do that job if he was given the opportunity to pursue his own course. May said that she wanted the Brexit Secretary to stay on the exact same course she had plotted. So, Gove turned down the job. May, though, asked him to stay as DEFRA Secretary and Gove has now decided to do so. So, why is he staying? Well, I understand that he didn’t see what would be achieved by going. It might doom this deal, but there would be nothing to put in its place. He felt it would be a nihilistic act, not a constructive one.- James Forsyth for The Spectator Will he stick will he twist will he twist will he stick? Gove sticks. He is not resigning. – Paul Goodman for Conservative Home …as he and four other Cabinet Brexiteers seek to reform the deal from within Michael Gove and four other Eurosceptic Cabinet ministers will try to force Theresa May into a last-minute change to the Brexit deal as the price for withdrawing their threats to resign. The “gang of five” believes it is not too late for Mrs May to go back to Brussels and demand a unilateral exit mechanism from the so-called “backstop” arrangement over Northern Ireland. The Environment Secretary, who stepped back from the brink of resignation on Friday, will meet Andrea Leadsom, Chris Grayling, Penny Mordaunt and Liam Fox over the next two days to agree the terms of their ultimatum.Mr Gove, Ms Leadsom, Ms Mordaunt and Mr Grayling had all made it clear on Thursday they were contemplating following Dominic Raab and Esther McVey out of the Cabinet in protest at the proposed deal, which could have sealed Mrs May’s fate. – Telegraph (£) Fox becomes the first Brexiteer Cabinet Minister to front for the Government – and chides fellow Leavers – ConservativeHome Leavers Remain in government – Guido Fawkes Michael Gove cannot seriously think he can make Theresa May change course now – Stewart Jackson for The Telegraph (£) Remainer Amber Rudd replaces Brexiteer Esther Mcvey at DWP Amber Rudd has returned to government as the new work and pensions secretary seven months after she resigned… Ms Rudd, a Remain supporter and May loyalist, is set to shift the balance of the cabinet away from Brexiteers. There are now six Brexiteers who are full cabinet ministers — Mr Barclay, Liam Fox, Michael Gove, Chris Grayling, Baroness Evans of Bowes Park and Penny Mordaunt — compared with seventeen who backed Remain. – The Times (£) Amber Rudd returns to UK Cabinet as work and pensions secretary – Politico Remain-backing Rudd returns to help sell May’s deal – Paul Goodman for Conservative Home Hammond, Penrose, and Kwarteng join the Government as May circles the wagons – Henry Hill for Conservative Home Letter signed by hundreds of business leaders urges Tory MPs to vote down Theresa May’s Brexit deal… More than 200 chief executives and entrepreneurs have called on Conservative MPs to vote down Theresa May’s Brexit deal, describing it as “the worst of all worlds”. In a letter, seen by the Telegraph, business leaders who run medium sized companies say Mrs May’s deal represents “the greatest act of national humiliation in this proud nation’s recent history”. The letter, organised by John Longworth, the former director general of the British Chamber of Commerce, is signed by members of the Alliance of British Entrepreneurs including Tim Martin, the boss of pub giant Wetherspoon and veteran venture capitalist John Moulton and will be delivered to all Tory MPs next week. Mrs May’s deal has been presented by Number 10 as a boon for business.- Telegraph (£) > Victoria Hewson on BrexitCentral: The Irish protocol in the withdrawal agreement rules out an independent trade policy …as Tory MPs continue to submit letters of no confidence in May At least 21 MPs say they have submitted letters of no confidence in the prime minister, as the backlash against her draft Brexit agreement grows. To trigger a vote that could spark a change in Conservative leader, 48 letters – from 15% of Tory MPs – need to be sent to the backbench 1922 Committee. The group, chaired by Sir Graham Brady, is responsible for Tory leadership elections. As of Friday morning, these are the 21 MPs that have confirmed publicly or to Sky News that they have sent their letters of no confidence. Other MPs may have sent letters but not declared so publicly. – Sky News > Sheryll Murray MP on BrexitCentral: The Prime Minister’s cave-in to Brussels’ demands on fishing rights is unacceptable ConservativeHome survey finds seven out of ten Tory members opposing the deal… Last month, 68 per cent of respondents to our survey wanted a Canada Plus Plus Plus-type Brexit, or else no deal at all – in other words, a quite hard to very hard Brexit. And this month, we have 72 per cent against the Prime Minister’s draft deal and 23 per cent for it. In other words, the bulk of our Party member panel respondents want a hardish or clean Brexit, and see Theresa May’s draft deal as not delivering it – a view that many will have taken without reading the best part of 600 pages of which it consists. But there you go. It’s salutary to look back to our final survey before the EU referendum, which showed 71 per cent of respondents either definitely for Leave or leaning to Leave, and 27 per cent either definitely for Remain or leaning to Remain. – ConservativeHome …while there is polite discomfort (or ‘a load of arse-kissing’) on the Prime Minister’s conference call with senior Tory activists Even though it took place during working hours, I gather in excess of 300 local Party officers dialled in, as May took 17 questions in the course of 45 minutes. I’m told there was “no bluster” or speech at the start, but a focus purely on Q&A – reflecting a better understanding of what the audience actually want from a conference call. The overall tone seems to have been one of polite discomfort, among a naturally loyal core audience. “No-one had a pop at her,” one of those listening in told me, “…I got the impression that people want to support her, but are struggling.” “Most appeared supportive of the PM but worried how to sell the deal. Lots of concern about the backstop and no unilateral exit. Lots [of callers] said they’d had representations from members. I’m not sure there was a single person excited over [the deal]”. Another association officer on the line was more blunt, describing the call as “a load of arse-kissing” – ConservativeHome Theresa May refuses to say the DUP will back her Brexit deal in Parliament… Prime Minister Theresa May refused to confirm whether her Northern Ireland backers, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), will vote for the draft Brexit deal she is due to bring to parliament next month. The DUP’s 10 MPs prop up the minority Conservative government in the House of Commons, but the party’s leader Arlene Foster has dismissed May’s Brexit draft as a “capitulation.” “Well, we will see how every member of parliament is going to vote,” May said on LBC radio, when asked. – Politico …while ministers are reportedly even in secret talks with Labour to create a Brexit ‘government of national unity’ Like in WWII Ministers are in secret talks with Labour over a Brexit ‘Government of National Unity’, The Sun can reveal. Emergency planning has already begun for life after Theresa May, as the Prime Minister hangs onto power by her fingertips. Some ministers have initiated secret talks with moderate Labour MPs for a World War Two-style coalition government as the only hope of ending the Brexit deadlock in the Commons. One mid-ranking minister involved in the clandestine talks told The Sun: “We are speaking to sensible Labour people to see what might be possible. – The Sun Brussels will stand firm on red lines and won’t allow concessions on Brexit deal Brussels is on edge, but it has no intention of going back to the Brexit drawing board. Chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told a meeting of EU27 ambassadors Friday morning that whatever political “difficulties” Theresa May is experiencing in London, the bloc has a “duty” to stand firm on its key Brexit red lines, according to EU diplomats present. For her part, May is standing firm on the deal in the face of a gale of criticism and is intent on pushing the deal to a vote in the House of Commons. But if political opponents in her own party succeed in forcing her to seek a better deal, there is no sign that any of the EU27 red lines will change. – Politico Dutch PM Rutte: it’s unlikely EU countries will want to alter Brexit deal – Reuters France calls on ‘lying’ UK politicians to drop Brexit… France’s economy minister on Friday said Brexit was leading Britain into “a nightmare” and called on “lying and irresponsible” Brexiteers to abandon their project, or face economic meltdown. At an event on global trade in Paris Friday, Bruno Le Maire said Brexit showed “that leaving the European single market simply has an exorbitant cost.” “Every people is free to decide to leave the single market and the European Union. But what Brexit shows is that the economic cost of leaving the single market is simply exorbitant and that there are many lying and irresponsible politicians, who in Great Britain have explained to the British people that Brexit would result in bright tomorrows. – Politico …as Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker leaves press conference early after ‘falling ill’ The President of the European Commission yesterday shuffled off stage in Brussels, helped by aides. An official is seen approaching the 63-year-old and observing his feet at the podium – with some speculating he was wearing two different coloured shoes. But it appeared to be a trick of the light, with both shoes appearing black as he exited the room through a side door. The video was taken after a joint presser with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and European Council President Donald Tusk. But the EU commission said he was coughing and wanted to do so away from the stage. – The Sun Migrants pile into dinghies to cross Channel to Dover as ‘panic sets in’ before Brexit deadline hits Seven men are huddled, cold and wet, in a car park at Samphire Hoe near Dover talking to a Coastguard Search and Rescue officer. Four have turquoise blankets wrapped tightly around their shoulders by the time an ambulance arrives on Friday lunchtime to check if they have any injuries or hypothermia. On the rocks of a beach below, a dinghy with a small engine is deflating. Two lifejackets and a red fuel tank float limply inside it. A black glove and coat have been abandoned nearby on the pebble beach, which is overlooked by Dover’s white cliffs. – Telegraph (£) John Whittingdale: Theresa May will not shift from her unworkable Brexit plan, so our only option is a new leader Twenty-eight years ago, I sat with Margaret Thatcher in 10 Downing Street as her Political Secretary, three days after Michael Heseltine had announced that he was challenging her for the leadership of the Conservative Party. A t that time, any MP could mount a challenge with just the support of a proposer and seconder. Today, a vote of no confidence can only be triggered if 15 per cent of Conservative MPs – 48 – tell the chairman of the 1922 Committee in writing that one should be held. Having seen the bitterness that a contest can cause, I thought long and hard before deciding that I should write to ask for a vote of no confidence in our present Prime Minister. I only did so when it became clear to me beyond doubt that there was no chance of her delivering the kind of Brexit that I wanted to see and that my constituents voted for. – John Whittingdale MP for The Telegraph (£) Michael Tomlinson: This deal is worse than we expected. It’s time for a clean, global exit You never know quite why you are being summoned to see the Chief Whip. When I was, I feared I must have said something wrong. And yet, after a meeting that lasted little more than a few seconds, I was invited to become the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the then Brexit secretary, Dominic Raab. Immediately, I accepted. I must hold the record for being the PPS who has served for the shortest period of time. Less than 48 hours later, the PM held her Cabinet meeting, which resulted in Raab resigning. How careless of me to have lost my boss so quickly. Regret it? Not one bit. Trust your instincts. And what do my instincts tell me about the PM’s deal? They tell me to stop. To read. To look at the detail. I am, after all, a lawyer by training. But when I look at it, my worst fears are confirmed. Michael Tomlinson MP for The Telegraph (£) Katy Balls: No. 10 manage to find a Brexiteer for Brexit Secretary Thirty-two hours after Dominic Raab resigned as Brexit Secretary, Theresa May has managed to find a Brexiteer who is willing to take on the troubled brief. Steve Barclay – the MP for North East Cambridgeshire – is the new Brexit Secretary. He has been promoted from minister of state at the Department of Health and Social Care.It’s certainly quite a leap and Barclay is the most low profile MP to take on the brief yet. However, the scope of the job has also been reduced. Barclay’s role is to concentrate on domestic preparedness rather than the final stages of the EU negotiation.- Katy Balls for The Spectator Mark Wallace: May’s attempt to force her deal through by threatening ‘no Brexit’ is deeply irresponsible I doubt Theresa May began her statement to the Commons yesterday expecting to receive any cheers. So it must have been a pleasant surprise to her when positive noises did indeed echo forth at one point. Before banking applause, however, it’s important to look at who it is coming from and why. Yesterday, her vocal supporters were those on the Opposition benches who want to prevent Brexit entirely. The most implacable opponents of your Government’s most fundamental policy are probably not the group any politician ought to seek to please. So how did the Prime Minister come to delight them? – Mark Wallace for Conservative Home John Redwood: The economic benefits of leaving with no Withdrawal Agreement The Eu’s refusal to discuss the future partnership and trade arrangements before we leave means we now have a simple choice. Sign an expensive and damaging deal and try another 21 months or more of talks, or leave and trade under WTO rules on terms we set out. It’s obvious we must just leave. Doing so produces many economic advantages 1 An immediate substantial improvement in our balance of payments as we cease sending money to the EU 2 An end to all the uncertainties about our trade relationship with the EU, which will become much like our trade relationship with the USA and China. – John Redwood’s Diary Comment in Brief The establishment wants us to panic over no deal, but we should not fall for it – Charles Moore for the Telegraph (£) Eurosceptics were right – the EU wants to be an empire – Patrick West for Spiked Cling to your corrupt, tatty comfort blanket, Remainers – us Brexiteers feel truly alive – Julie Burchill for the Telegraph (£) Our hunt for global talent has just got hotter – Ivan Jimenez for CommentCentral The day the Brexiteers took back control – Gwythian Prins on Briefings for Brexit This Brexit deal isn’t a disaster, but only if Mrs May resigns – Juliet Samuel for The Telegraph (£) Beware the EU’s “Fifth Freedom” – the EU’s attempt to get control of our data – Joel Casement of Get Britain Out for The Commentator Resolving the North Sea Cod Problem – Zainab Hussain for Get Britain Out Post-Brexit English football will remain European in flavour – Allan Massie for Reaction Where do we go from here? – Michael St George for Conservative Woman Why Norway option is a no-brainer – it is not too late for May to change tack – Maggie Pagano for Reaction Open Europe responds to the draft Withdrawal Agreement – Aarti Shankar for Open Europe The Brexit civil war – The Spectator podcast Brexit chaos shows our system of government is working – David Waywell for Reaction It’s worth remembering just what staying in the Brussels club would mean for Britain. – Kai Weiss for CapX News in Brief Scottish Tories at ‘civil war’ over PM’s draft Brexit deal – The Times (£) Brexit negotiators have one more thing to solve within days – Bloomberg UK Supreme Court says it will consider government appeal in Brexit reversal case – Reuters Shares slide persists amid Brexit turmoil – Sky News How could May turmoil affect Brexit? – BBC News Can Theresa May get her deal through the Commons? – BBC News Germany must prepare for a no-deal Brexit, says finance minister – Reuters Irish PM says hard border highly likely without Brexit deal – Reuters Theresa May credits husband Phillip’s support, a glass of whiskey and beans on toast with helping her through week of Brexit chaos – The Sun