Sign up here to receive the daily news briefing in your inbox every morning with exclusive insight from the BrexitCentral team Theresa May faces ‘coup’ claims as she sidelines Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and boosts controversial Brexit guru Olly Robbins… Theresa May’s top Europe adviser faced claims of a “coup d’etat” after the prime minister announced the Brexit department will no longer be responsible for negotiating the country’s EU divorce. Olly Robbins, who leads a team of civil servants within the Cabinet Office, has seen his “Europe unit” given overall responsibility for negotiations with Brussels. Mrs May’s shake-up of Whitehall prompted claims of a demotion for new Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab little more than two weeks into the job. It could also inflame tensions with Conservative Brexiteers, who eye Mr Robbins with suspicion and accuse him of being behind the prime minister’s unpopular Chequers plan for leaving the EU… The prime minister added Mr Raab’s DExEU officials will now solely focus on Brexit preparations, including those for a “no deal” outcome. News of Mrs May’s statement was delivered as both Mr Raab and Mr Robbins gave evidence to the House of Commons Brexit committee on Tuesday. The pair presented a united front, with Mr Raab insisting there was “no tension” between him and Mr Robbins despite “some shifting of the Whitehall deckchairs”. The Brexit secretary revealed he was made aware of the shake-up in a conversation with Mrs May when he took on the role, as he stressed his department had not been “downgraded” and there was “one team” handling Brexit. – Sky News Theresa May takes personal charge of Brexit talks – BBC News Theresa May takes control of Brexit – Politico May takes control of Brexit talks in bid for softer EU split – Bloomberg May sidelines Brexit Department to take control of Brussels talks – The Times (£) Theresa May ‘demotes’ Dominic Raab as she takes charge of exit talks – Express Raab ‘sidelined’ as May takes control of EU negotiations – Guardian Confirmed: May and Robbins sideline Raab and DExEU – Guido Fawkes Brexiteers angry at Remain power swap – Express UK Brexit secretary: Britain would ‘thrive’ after no deal – Politico > WATCH: Dominic Raab admits the Chequers plan for a common rulebook will hamper the UK’s ability to sign free trade deals after Brexit …as Robbins faces angry MPs in rare appearance in front of Brexit Select Committee [F]ormer Brexit Department Chief of Staff Stewart Jackson branded it a “long predicted defenestration” that was a “transfer of power to the unaccountable Cabinet Office Europe Unit and hard core Remainers.” In a rare public appearance Mr Robbins rejected claims of a “coup d’etat” and insisted that he had not secretly gone behind the back of Mr Davis and forced his walk out… Appearing at the Commons Brexit committee, Mr Robbins insisted that he had not sidelined Mr Davis or torn up the Brexit department’s own Brexit blueprint, rather the position had “evolved”. However when confronted by MPs that Mr Davis had directly contradicted his version of events, the civil service high flyer would only shrug. Mr Jackson had accused Mr Robbins of running “shadow, parallel operation” and keeping officials and ministers from the Brexit department “in the dark” about the Chequers plan… When Mrs May became Prime Minister in 2016 she promised that the negotiations with Brussels would be led by a Brexiteer. She said: “I will create a new department responsible for conducting Britain’s negotiation with the EU. It will be led by a senior Secretary of State – and I will make sure that the position is taken by an MP who campaigned for Britain to leave the EU.” – The Sun Brexiteer MPs round on Olly Robbins at select committee – Steerpike ‘It fails the sniff test!’ Anger as Remainer civil servant granted total control of Brexit – Express Theresa May takes back control in Brexit talks – Tom Goodenough for the Spectator The single word that says so much about Olly Robbins – the Brexiteers’ bête noire – Michael Deacon for the Telegraph (£) Old boy Dominic Raab has end-of-term blues – Patrick Kidd for The Times (£) Le bureaucrate, c’est moi – Henry Mance for the FT (£) Robbins bit his lip and flashed a pair of dimples – Quentin Letts for the Daily Mail > WATCH HIGHLIGHTS: Jacob Rees-Mogg grills Olly Robbins on the Chequers plan Robbins denies Peter Bone’s suggestion he was secretly preparing a rival Brexit White Paper to blindside David Davis Craig Mackinlay tells Robbins he feels he has “been misled” Sammy Wilson challenges Robbins on the Irish border Robbins tells John Whittingdale the Chequers plan is an “evolution of the position” Whittingdale asks Robbins if proposals were kept from ministers until the last minute Law keeping UK under EU jurisdiction will continue to apply during transition period… Ministers planned to repeal the European Communities Act, but will now “save” some “parts” of it during the transition period… Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab said the proposals, published in a white paper on Tuesday, were a “clear signal” to Brussels that “the UK is a reliable and dependent negotiating partner”. He added that only “parts” of EU law would continue to apply after exit day… Steve Baker, a Brexit minister who resigned over Mrs May’s Chequers plan, called it “the least worst” mechanism to repeal the old law. – Sky News > WATCH: Statement from Dominic Raab on the Withdrawal Agreement White Paper …while ministers warn that Brussels will be able to bill the UK every month for cash from the £38bn settlement until 2021 Brussels will send Britain an invoice every six months with demands for cash as they see fit, Ministers admitted last night. The payment of the massive £38 billion divorce bill agreed with the EU last December will be overseen by a new financial body, but take years to pay off. Brexit boss Dominic Raab last night set out how a new Withdrawal and Implementation law will set it up… However it will be left to Brussels to decide when certain payments the UK has agreed to will be due during a two year transition period agreed with the EU – to the fury of Leave backing Tories. At the same time the UK will claw back £300million every year for eleven years as payback for our share of the European Investment Bank… But Tory MP Craig Mackinlay hit out saying these terms “do not pass the public’s sniff test” and questioned whether Brexiteers would vote to sign them off. – The Sun Jeremy Corbyn accused of bringing back 1970s-style protectionism as he launches a Britain first ‘manufacturing revolution’ The Labour leader was compared to Donald Trump as he said it was wrong to make everything from train carriages to passports overseas. He outlined in Birmingham how his party would redirect state spending to British firms to revive the country’s industrial base. But his plans were blasted by senior Tories… In the speech to the EEF manufacturers’ organisation in Birmingham, the Labour leader attacked the Government for allowing billions of pounds worth of work on passports, military ships and health supplies to go overseas. And he promised that Labour would use state aid powers “to the full” to support Britain’s manufacturing sector post Brexit… But he shrugged off a suggestion he was being protectionist or bringing forward Donald Trump-like economic policies. – The Sun Jeremy Corbyn: Bring manufacturing ‘back to Britain’ – BBC News Jeremy Corbyn says Brexit will boost manufacturing as he pledges to bring jobs back to the UK – Telegraph Public contracts should go to UK firms, says Jeremy Corbyn – Guardian Corbyn’s ‘Build it in Britain’ campaign blasted as protectionism – Politico Corbyn calls for new EU customs union to avoid ‘nightmare’ UK-US trade deal – FT (£) Jeremy Corbyn is attacking the City… again – Rachel Cunliffe for City A.M. What did Remainers expect would happen when they made EU-sceptic Jeremy Corbyn Labour leader? – Tom Harris for the Telegraph (£) Closed for Business: A speech by Jeremy Corbyn has revealed a Labour vision for Britain that sees a bigger role for the state and a desire to protect the country against competition – Times leader (£) Polls before and after Chequers – Guido Fawkes UK employers to get ‘toolkit’ to help them register EU workers Employers across the country are to be given an EU citizen “toolkit” to help staff from the bloc to register for a new immigration status that will be legally required after Brexit. The Home Office unveiled a package of briefing packs, posters and leaflets at an event involving representatives of some of the biggest employers and groups campaigning to preserve the rights of the estimated 3.5 million to 3.8 million EU citizens living and working in the UK… Sajid Javid, the home secretary, said the toolkit, which will be available on the gov.uk website, would “offer security and certainty to EU citizens living in the UK” and would help all EU citizens living in the country “get their new immigration status”… The new Brexit secretary, Dominic Raab, told a select committee on Tuesday that EU citizens would not face mass deportation if the UK crashed out of the bloc. – Guardian Businesses step up plans to avoid gridlocked ports after Brexit… Contingency plans are being drawn up to prevent lorries being stopped at the border as they make their way into the UK from Europe… Under the plans – seen by Sky News – vehicles would be checked at an “approved location” in Europe and then waved through the UK border. They would then have to go to an “approved inland location” in the UK, away from the port of entry, to be checked again… The framework for customs and border regulation has been been discussed with growing intensity by members of the Joint Customs Consultative Committee (JCCC), a highly influential forum for British businesses involved in importing and exporting. The JCCC holds regular meetings with HM Revenue and Customs to offer advice on government policy. It recently met to discuss contingency plans in the event of a no deal Brexit, discussing the idea of building “additional inland locations on a fast-track basis, even as a temporary measure”. – Sky News …as Health Secretary Matt Hancock is blasted by Brexiteers after calling for drugs stockpiling Speaking in front of the Health Select Committee on Tuesday, Mr Hancock said: “I’ve asked the department to work on options for stockpiling by industry and we are working with industry to prepare for the potential need for stockpiling in the event of ‘no deal’ Brexit.” … Mr Hancock’s statements came under sharp criticism from arch-Brexiteers, who branded his warning “Project Fear 2.0”. Speaking to BBC presenter Emily Maitlis, Newsnight political editor Nicholas Watt said: “There has been a very strong response from Brexiteers. I spoke to one source in the European Research Group (ERG), the main Brexit group, who said Matt Hancock’s remarks this afternoon were weaponising the ‘no deal’ preparations.” … Arch-Brexiteers accused the minister of raising fears surrounding a ‘no deal’ outcome in order to gain support for Theresa May’s ‘soft’ Brexit proposal, which could lead to the Government offering further concessions to Brussels. Highlighting the level of anger within the ERG, Mr Watt said: “They are saying that what they heard this afternoon was very cynical.” Mr Hancock’s warnings were dismissed by Brexit Minister Lord Callanan, who described Mr Hancock’s comments as “fairly ridiculous”. – Express NHS preparing to ‘stockpile’ drugs for no deal Brexit – BBC News Brexit boss Dominic Raab insist food and medical supplies won’t dry up in No Deal Brexit – The Sun Stockpiles of food, medicine and blood will be built up if no deal Brexit becomes likely, ministers reveal – Telegraph Treasury would cover lost EU funding for projects up to 2020 – The Times (£) Even the blockade of Qatar hasn’t produced the calamity that hysterical Remainers now predict from Brexit – Daniel Hannan MEP for ConservativeHome Jean-Claude Juncker to meet Donald Trump in Washington today seeking to allay trade tension European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will present two ideas for reducing trans-Atlantic trade tensions when he meets with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, but any negotiations will depend on Trump lifting tariffs on EU steel and aluminum and not imposing new tariffs on European autos, a senior European official said on Tuesday. “President Juncker will suggest two of these ideas that we’re working on. They’re just suggestions,” the senior European official told reporters during a briefing on Juncker’s visit. He also stressed that the EU has no expectations that Wednesday’s meeting would produce a breakthrough on trade with the U.S. – Politico ‘It’s not going to be a great meeting’: Trump to welcome Juncker – Politico How the EU can master L’art du deal – Dalibor Rohac for Politico Italy attacks EU’s ‘insulting’ offer of €6,000 a migrant – The Times (£) The EU is still floundering in its response to voters’ concerns about immigration – Times leader (£) Theresa Villiers and Owen Paterson: Why is the European Commission only listening to the Irish Republic on Brexit? The Commission showed its dangerous ignorance of Northern Ireland with its proposal that “the territory of Northern Ireland…shall be considered to be part of the customs territory of the Union”. This would be a clear breach of the Principle of Consent enshrined in the Belfast Agreement, designed to respect the border and leave the choice about its future solely, democratically and peacefully in the hands of the people of Northern Ireland. It would serve neither the interests of the Republic of Ireland nor Northern Ireland. Eighty-five per cent of Northern Ireland’s sales are within the UK – with 65 per cent remaining in the province and 20 per cent with Great Britain. Only 5 per cent of sales are with the Republic. Just 1.6 per cent of Irish exports go to Northern Ireland, and 1.6 per cent of the Republic’s imports are from Northern Ireland. It would be absurd for Northern Ireland to be cut off from the UK Single Market for the sake of that, just as it would be for the Republic to jeopardise the 13.4 per cent of exports and almost a quarter of imports sent to and received from the UK. The Commission has made a major error in only taking advice on Irish matters from Dublin. It must seek to learn from voices in Northern Ireland. It must return to the approach which [Lars] Karlsson set out. It must listen to senior figures, including the architect of the Belfast Agreement, David Trimble. A sensible technological solution is in the best interests of the whole British Isles. – Former Northern Ireland Secretaries Theresa Villiers and Owen Paterson for the Telegraph (£) The government must not allow Dublin to interfere in Northern Ireland – Owen Polley for Reaction ‘Conjoined twins’: how Brexit’s Irish backstop conundrum could be solved – Peter Foster for the Telegraph (£) > Christopher Howarth on BrexitCentral today: Leo Varadkar’s weaponisation of the Irish border threatens the EU-UK trade deal he needs more than anyone Daniel Hannan: If the EU turn hostile on Brexit and see us leaving as an act of aggression — it’s time to turn to trade deals and the open seas Does the EU see leaving as an act of aggression? Because that’s the way it’s starting to look. Most Britons, whether they voted Remain or Leave, hoped that we would replace EU membership with a close alliance. Pulling out of the Brussels institutions did not need to prejudice friendly relations with our neighbours. But it is becoming clear that Eurocrats do not see it that way. The 27 EU states, or most of them at any rate, might individually want good relations with us. But, in Brussels, there are plenty of officials who would rather see all sides suffer than watch Brexit succeed… If Brussels no longer sees us as an ally, we can hardly carry on behaving like one unilaterally, so to speak. While we talk of trade and co-operation, EU negotiators talk of border queues and grounded flights. Ireland’s prime minister, Leo Varadkar, even threatens to close his airspace. To put that remark in context, consider that there are scheduled flights between Russia and Ukraine. If such thinking wins out, we shall have no choice but to leave Europe to itself and turn our faces, as our ancestors did, to the open seas. That is not an outcome anyone should want, but we shall be ready if it comes. The EU’s calculation seems to be that we will end up swallowing whatever is put in front of us. Understandably enough, you might say, given what feeble negotiators we have been so far. But Britain has a bad habit of switching from vague amiability to sudden resolve when it is almost too late. Such a moment is upon us. – Daniel Hannan MEP for The Sun The Sun: Dom demoted As if our EU negotiation hadn’t been inept enough, Theresa May sidelines her new Brexit Secretary just as she did the last. Dominic Raab is highly competent and a Brexiter. Naturally, he’s the last person No10 would want involved in talks. Instead our PM and her Remainiac aide Olly Robbins will do it. Raab’s sole role is preparing Britain for the outcome. We warned Mrs May after Chequers she will not survive one more breach of a red line. But we hoped Raab would be around to keep her and Robbins honest. The omens are grim. – The Sun says Comment in brief Only Johnson can stop May, Raab or Hunt leading us to national humiliation – Brian Monteith for City A.M. How Jacob Rees-Mogg’s anti-EU father defied former PM John Major – Henry Mance for the FT (£) Why it’s time my fellow Brexiteers took a second look at the Norway option – Tim Stanley for the Telegraph (£) Another surrender on Brexit, but still it won’t save the City tax gusher – Jeremy Warner for the Telegraph (£) A new centre party would fail because centrists have no ideas beyond opposing Brexit – Lord Hague for the Telegraph (£) A new anti-Brexit party? Theresa May should worry more about a ‘true Brexit’ one – Asa Bennett for the Telegraph (£) Why the EU will only extend the Brexit deadline for a second referendum – James Crisp for the Telegraph (£) If Brexit negotiations have taught us anything, it’s that our future should not be left to 650 politicians in London – Chuka Umunna MP for the Independent A mature democracy would allow for a vote on the final deal, rather than allow bullying tactics to shut down further debate – Dominic Grieve MP for the Independent Not all of us want to be a part of the Brexiteers’ ideological day dream – that’s why the public deserves a say – Layla Moran MP for the Independent The referendum gave sovereignty to the British people, so now they deserve a final say on the Brexit deal – Independent editorial News in brief UK refuses to give up on post-Brexit plan for City – FT (£) Michael Gove believes tariff-free food trade ‘likely’ with EU – BBC News UK fights Scots’ Brexit ‘negotiating tactic’ at Supreme Court – Bloomberg SNP Brexit Bill sets precedent for wildcat independence legislation, UK Supreme Court told – Telegraph (£) Brexit victory was hampered by torrential rain – new study on EU referendum finds – Express Remoaners planning boat party to protest Brexit had to slash ticket prices after poor sales – Express