Ken Clarke dismisses referendum as “an opinion poll” as he blasts government over Brexit No one in Government has the first idea what they are doing over Brexit, Tory grandee Ken Clarke has claimed in a withering attack on Theresa May’s administration… In an interview with the New Statesman, Mr Clarke said: “Nobody in the Government has the first idea of what they’re going to do next on the Brexit front”… The former minister, a staunch backer of the Remain campaign, went on to say he would vote against leaving the European Union, should the opportunity fall before MPs. “The idea that I’m suddenly going to change my lifelong opinions about the national interest and regard myself as instructed to vote in parliament on the basis of an opinion poll is laughable,” he said. – PoliticsHome Sky has not fallen in and Brexit clouds are clearing, reports S&P The credit ratings agency said that although economic growth in the UK and the single currency bloc would slow as a result of the vote to leave the EU, activity in the first two months since the referendum has “been stronger than some had feared”. – The Times (£) We’re in a post-Brexit building boom – The Spectator Liam Fox tells The Spectator: The EU is ripping out Europe’s social fabric The European Union, he says, is in terrible shape. ‘The architecture is beginning to peel away. It’s going to sacrifice at least one generation of young Europeans on the altar of the single currency, and you can only rip out the social fabric from so much of Europe before it starts imploding. That’s the problem with the European Union. And with Britain out of it, they’re still going to have to confront exactly the same problems.’ – Liam Fox interviewed in The Spectator Liam Fox launches savage attack on the the EU’s catastrophic economic policies – Daily Mail Liam Fox says UK must accept ‘the world does not owe us a living – The Guardian European Union could ‘implode’ when Britain leaves, says Liam Fox – Daily Telegraph Liam Fox warns Germany will become the ‘biggest ATM in global history’ after Brexit – The Sun Theresa May told to get on with Brexit now as experts warn crucial time is being ‘wasted’ Experts raised concerns that crucial time is being “wasted” on Whitehall “turf wars” rather than being spent on setting out a positive vision for Britain’s future outside the EU. And the Prime Minister needs to flesh out her plans for withdrawal so that businesses have “clarity” about the trade opportunities ahead. A scathing verdict on the progress of Whitehall preparations for the forthcoming European negotiations was delivered in the report from the Institute for Government. – Daily Express Brexit negotiations could cost £65m and require 520 more staff – The Independent Department for Exiting the EU to double in size but uncertainty is creating strains – FT (£) David Walker: One way or another, Brexit will bump up the size of the state – The Guardian UK releases ‘secret’ Brexit documents after court order In the newly-released documents, lawyers for the government say it is “constitutionally impermissible” for parliament to be given the authority rather than the prime minister. They also dismiss any idea that Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales will have any say in the divorce process. – Politico The Guardian profiles Daniel Hannan MEP – “The man who brought you Brexit” It was Hannan, in 2012, who asked Matthew Elliott, the founder of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, to set up the embryonic campaign group that later became Vote Leave. Elliott, who is 38, describes Hannan as the pamphleteer who made Brexit seem like a reasonable proposition for millions of people. “I can’t think of anybody who has done more on this,” he told me. Others laboured too, of course, and Elliott cited veteran Tory MPs Bill Cash and John Redwood, who spent decades attacking the constitutional and economic aspects of the EU – “but Dan is the only person who has successfully created a whole worldview,” he said. “And also then done better than anyone else to be the propagandist for it.” – The Guardian My one worry about Brexit – if we mess things up, we could harm relations with Ireland – Daniel Hannan MEP on ConservativeHome Why a “Hard Brexit” looms for Britain Almost 100 days since a referendum signalled the end of Britain’s four decades of EU membership, a Bloomberg News analysis has identified a hardening of positions with even the U.K.’s traditional allies such as Ireland insisting it cannot “cherry pick” in the looming divorce talks. – Bloomberg Italian PM Matteo Renzi warns UK over EU rights It will be “impossible” for Brexit talks to result in a deal that gives Britons more rights than others outside the EU, Italy’s PM has told the BBC. Matteo Renzi warned that leaving the EU would be a “very difficult process” – but the problems could be solved only after the UK began the exit procedure. – BBC Jeremy Corbyn vows to use Brexit to shift Britain to the Left Mr Corbyn called for the referendum result to be respected, criticising “patronising or lecturing those in our communities who voted to leave”. And he said: “Of course, that doesn’t mean giving a blank cheque to Theresa May and her three-legged team of fractious Brexiteers, as they try to work up a negotiating plan and squabble about whose turn it is to have the Chevening country retreat each weekend. “We have made it clear that we will resist a Brexit at the expense of workers’ rights and social justice – we have set out our red lines on employment, environmental and social protection and on access to the European market.” – The Independent Labour’s Emily Thornberry: I’m open to holding talks with SNP in bid to avoid ‘hard Brexit’ – The Herald Remainer Andy Burnham concedes that Brexit is right for Britain – Daily Express Paris and Berlin trash Nicolas Sarkozy’s plan for second Brexit vote The German and French governments on Wednesday rebuked claims by French presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy that he would offer Brits a second chance to vote on European Union membership. – Politico Sarkozy is wrong about Brexit – and French voters know it – Douglas Carswell’s Blog The economist who made a stand against Project Fear – Patrick Minford ‘There was never a consensus among economists that Britain should stay in the European Union,’ insists Professor Patrick Minford. ‘That was always rubbish.’ During the heat of the referendum campaign, Chancellor George Osborne asserted it was ‘economically illiterate’ to back Leave. ‘It’s Osborne himself who is economically illiterate,’ Minford shot back. Three months on from the UK’s EU vote, Minford has reason to feel pleased with himself. Economists for Brexit — the campaign group he hurriedly founded on a shoestring — is credited with helping to swing the result. – The Spectator Frank Field MP: Brexit Gives Us A Historic Opportunity I hope there will be friendship with the EU, but the period in which we were locked into an inward European arrangement is coming to its peaceful close. How we position ourselves as an independent, but outwardly-looking, moderately significant player on the world stage is a crucial part of the Brexit transition. – Frank Field MP for Standpoint Elliott Haworth: British SMEs should focus their attention to America post-Brexit Access to the world’s largest, most competitive, and technologically advanced private sector, where regulatory barriers are low and the business culture is similar, makes dealing with America an opportunity for SMEs. Now, as we embark on our journey out of the EU, the time is right to focus our efforts Stateside. – Elliott Haworth for City A.M. Kamal Ahmed: ‘Hard’ or ‘soft’ Brexit? That’s the wrong question The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, may visit Brussels later in the autumn to sign the document with a flourish, the clear signal being that the EU does do deals. Although Canada+ is the model, Britain would need some significant variations – “bespoke” as many describe it. Financial services, for example, would need to play a much larger role in any Anglo-EU deal given the size and importance of the London market to both sides. – Kamal Ahmed for BBC News Brexit comment in brief Blowing up the City of London would be a disaster for the EU – Iain Martin on Reaction Those who claim passporting is irrelevant are deluding themselves – Simon Nixon for The Times (£) Industry is wary of losing ‘passporting’ rights but confident it will adapt – FT (£) Abbott’s alarming contempt for Brexit voters – Rory Broomfield on Comment Central Brexit brought the bull run in commercial property to a premature end – Manish Chande for City.A.M. Together a Trump-led US and Brexit Britain can restore Nato and the West – John Bolton in the Daily Telegraph Brexit news in brief Brexit 100 days on: What has actually happened so far? Impact on politics, economy, more – Daily Express Britain’s backdoor to EU influence: The UK is offering to ‘help’ countries holding the bloc’s presidency. – Politico Tory MEPs launch initiative to outflank Martin Schulz by limiting the term of a European Parliament President – EurActiv.com MEPs clash over EU army plans – The Parliament Magazine Tony Blair ‘helped make Brexit happen by his devolution of power to Scotland and Wales’ – Daily Express MPs to assess impact of Brexit on universities – BBC No special migration deal for Scotland, insists UK Government – The Herald French regulators to accept paperwork in English in attempt to persuade moves to Paris after Brexit vote – FT (£) Brexit revives stalled Japan-EU trade deal – Politico