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| Theresa May takes charge of Brexit, economy and social reform committees | Theresa May takes charge of Brexit, economy and social reform committees |
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| Theresa May has revealed she will personally take charge of three new ministerial committees – on Brexit, the economy and social reform – to implement her priorities for government, as she led her first cabinet meeting in Downing Street. | Theresa May has revealed she will personally take charge of three new ministerial committees – on Brexit, the economy and social reform – to implement her priorities for government, as she led her first cabinet meeting in Downing Street. |
| The prime minister told the 22 senior politicians making up her top team that they must get on with the job as they gathered in No 10. | The prime minister told the 22 senior politicians making up her top team that they must get on with the job as they gathered in No 10. |
| In a 90-minute discussion, she told senior ministers that “politics is not a game” as she insisted quitting the EU presented a huge opportunity. | In a 90-minute discussion, she told senior ministers that “politics is not a game” as she insisted quitting the EU presented a huge opportunity. |
| “Brexit means Brexit – and we’re going to make a success of it. It will be the responsibility of everyone sitting around the cabinet table to make Brexit work for Britain,” she said ahead of the meeting. | “Brexit means Brexit – and we’re going to make a success of it. It will be the responsibility of everyone sitting around the cabinet table to make Brexit work for Britain,” she said ahead of the meeting. |
| “And it will also be their duty to deliver success on behalf of everyone in the UK, not just the privileged few. That is why social justice will be at the heart of my government. | “And it will also be their duty to deliver success on behalf of everyone in the UK, not just the privileged few. That is why social justice will be at the heart of my government. |
| “So we will not allow the country to be defined by Brexit; but instead build the education, skills and social mobility to allow everyone to prosper from the opportunities of leaving the EU.” | “So we will not allow the country to be defined by Brexit; but instead build the education, skills and social mobility to allow everyone to prosper from the opportunities of leaving the EU.” |
| She is setting up three cabinet committees – on the economy and industrial strategy, leaving the EU and international trade, and social reform – that reflect her priorities for the next four years. | She is setting up three cabinet committees – on the economy and industrial strategy, leaving the EU and international trade, and social reform – that reflect her priorities for the next four years. |
| No 10 denied it was a move to keep tight control on the policy areas covered by Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, David Davis, the Brexit secretary, and Liam Fox, the international trade secretary. | No 10 denied it was a move to keep tight control on the policy areas covered by Boris Johnson, the foreign secretary, David Davis, the Brexit secretary, and Liam Fox, the international trade secretary. |
| “It’s because the issues that they will be discussing go to the heart of her agenda, the top priorities for this government and the challenges that we face as a country,” May’s spokeswoman said. “This idea that it is in some way to manage relations between other cabinet ministers and things, that is not what it is about. | “It’s because the issues that they will be discussing go to the heart of her agenda, the top priorities for this government and the challenges that we face as a country,” May’s spokeswoman said. “This idea that it is in some way to manage relations between other cabinet ministers and things, that is not what it is about. |
| “At cabinet this morning you saw the prime minister really encouraging a collective government approach.” | “At cabinet this morning you saw the prime minister really encouraging a collective government approach.” |
| Also present at the first cabinet meeting were her joint chiefs of staff, Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy, who rejoined her team after working in the Home Office under the coalition. | Also present at the first cabinet meeting were her joint chiefs of staff, Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy, who rejoined her team after working in the Home Office under the coalition. |
| Cameras were allowed during the initial moments of the meeting, showing May sitting beside Johnson and Sir Jeremy Heywood, the cabinet secretary. | Cameras were allowed during the initial moments of the meeting, showing May sitting beside Johnson and Sir Jeremy Heywood, the cabinet secretary. |
| May is yet to move into Downing Street, where she will live in the larger flat at No 11 previously occupied by David Cameron and his family. | |
| “The prime minister took office sooner than some might have expected and she agreed with David Cameron a schedule for moving out and moving in,” the spokeswoman said. | “The prime minister took office sooner than some might have expected and she agreed with David Cameron a schedule for moving out and moving in,” the spokeswoman said. |
| On Wednesday, May will complete her first week in Downing Street by taking part in her first prime minister’s questions, before heading to Germany to meet the chancellor, Angela Merkel. | On Wednesday, May will complete her first week in Downing Street by taking part in her first prime minister’s questions, before heading to Germany to meet the chancellor, Angela Merkel. |
| The pair are expected to discuss Brexit despite the EU’s ban on informal negotiations between the UK and other member states before the official leaving process has begun with the triggering of article 50. | The pair are expected to discuss Brexit despite the EU’s ban on informal negotiations between the UK and other member states before the official leaving process has begun with the triggering of article 50. |
| Labour dismissed May’s “warm words about reaching out and putting working people first”, saying her first few days in the job were not a good sign. | Labour dismissed May’s “warm words about reaching out and putting working people first”, saying her first few days in the job were not a good sign. |
| Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow minister without portfolio, said: “Her first acts were to abolish the department tasked with tackling climate change; to put someone who wanted to scrap the Department for International Development in charge of it; and to fill the rest of her cabinet with a variety of rightwingers, failures and disgraced returnees from the backbenches. | |
| “Changing the faces at the top of the Tory party will do nothing for working people let down by this government. We need a change of direction to put ordinary people first.” | “Changing the faces at the top of the Tory party will do nothing for working people let down by this government. We need a change of direction to put ordinary people first.” |