Brexit ‘war cabinet’ prepares for battle
Soft and hard Brexiters go head-to-head today to decide Britain’s post-EU future

Theresa May’s Brexit ‘war cabinet’ meets today, with those advocating a soft and hard Brexit going head-to-head as they agree a plan for Britain’s future relationship with the EU.
As the clock ticks down towards Brexit day on 29 March next year, “each side feels increasingly anxious about the risk of losing what they want to see from the process”, says RTE.
Brexiters in the slimmed-down Cabinet - including the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Brexit Secretary David Davis and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox - are ready to block the UK staying in any form of customs union. They will face stiff resistance from Chancellor Philip Hammond, Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Business Secretary Greg Clark, who are determined to maintain some kind of regulatory alignment and market access to soften the economic blow of leaving the bloc.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
With Tory divisions over Brexit “set to reach crunch point, Eurosceptics are already getting geared up for a battle”, says The Independent. Arch-Brexiter and potential leadership contender Jacob Rees-Mogg summoned members of the influential European Research Group of Europhobe Tory MPs to a meeting last night to agree their line of attack.
Yesterday, German MEP Manfred Weber, leader of the centre-right European People’s Party in the European parliament, called on Britain to say what it wants from Brexit.
Politico, which spoke to officials from both the UK and EU, says “the outlook is not promising”.
“It seems Brussels thinks Theresa May will eventually abandon her plan to quit the customs union… while London thinks the EU is ‘playing a game’ and willfully misunderstanding its position,” says the site.
In a boon to those advocating a soft Brexit, a YouGov poll released yesterday suggests Britons are now more concerned about maintaining free trade than cutting immigration. However, it also found more people think Britain should press ahead with Brexit in March next year even in the event of no deal than think it should stay in the EU.
The divisions within Cabinet reflect the seemingly irreparable split in the parliamentary Tory party, with a minority right wing gunning for a hard Brexit and more moderate MPs favouring a softer one.
Justine Greening, who was sacked as education secretary by the Prime Minister in January’s reshuffle, became the second former minister to say she would find it hard to remain within a Tory party led by Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Asked if she would remain in the party if Rees-Mogg became leader, she told the BBC’s Daily Politics: “Er, that might be a bit of a stretch, admittedly. But I think, again, what matters to me, probably, in any of those circumstances is what my own community thinks and who they feel is right.”
Earlier this week, in an explosive BBC Newsnight interview, vocal Tory Remainer Anna Soubry said her party had been “taken over” by around 35 hardline Eurosceptics who should be “slung out”.
The problem for May, the Tory party and the UK as a whole is that “Brexit is a process that risks pleasing no one and angering everyone”, says RTE. “Remainers cut from the EU will struggle with any deal which is not full membership [while] leavers who do not see a complete break from the EU will always feel their vision was thwarted,” concludes the broadcaster.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
May 31 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include how much to pay for a pardon, medical advice from a brain worm, and a simple solution to the national debt.
-
5 costly cartoons about the national debt
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on the USA's financial hole, rare bipartisan agreement, and Donald Trump and Mike Johnson.
-
Green goddess salad recipe
The Week Recommends Avocado can be the creamy star of the show in this fresh, sharp salad
-
Angela Rayner: Labour's next leader?
Today's Big Question A leaked memo has sparked speculation that the deputy PM is positioning herself as the left-of-centre alternative to Keir Starmer
-
Brexit 'reset' deal: how will it work?
In Depth Keir Stamer says the deal is a 'win-win', but he faces claims that he has 'surrendered' to Brussels on fishing rights
-
Are we entering the post-Brexit era?
Today's Big Question Keir Starmer's 'big bet' with his EU reset deal is that 'nobody really cares' about Brexit any more
-
Is Starmer's plan to send migrants overseas Rwanda 2.0?
Today's Big Question Failed asylum seekers could be removed to Balkan nations under new government plans
-
Can Starmer sell himself as the 'tough on immigration' PM?
Today's Big Question Former human rights lawyer 'now needs to own the change – not just mouth the slogans' to win over a sceptical public
-
Has Starmer put Britain back on the world stage?
Talking Point UK takes leading role in Europe on Ukraine and Starmer praised as credible 'bridge' with the US under Trump
-
Left on read: Labour's WhatsApp dilemma
Talking Point Andrew Gwynne has been sacked as health minister over messages posted in a Labour WhatsApp group
-
New Year's Honours: why the controversy?
Today's Big Question London Mayor Sadiq Khan and England men's football manager Gareth Southgate have both received a knighthood despite debatable records