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| Theresa May to meet new cabinet after Boris Johnson's Brexit resignation – live | Theresa May to meet new cabinet after Boris Johnson's Brexit resignation – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Dan Sabbagh has taken at look at where the three key figures now stand: | |
| Theresa May | |
| She remains in a strong position. Two high-profile critics of her Brexit approach have quit and there appears to be no immediate prospect of a challenge to her leadership. Even if there were, May remains the favourite. She now has the opportunity to consolidate her grip on the cabinet and develop her Brexit approach, assuming the European Union responds positively to her Chequers plan. Nevertheless, the next 48 hours remain critical. | |
| Michael Gove | |
| The ambitious environment secretary appears eager to prove his loyalty to May, at least judging by his appearance on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show where he said “in all the important areas” the UK would be a sovereign country under May’s Brexit plan. Gove’s reputation within the Tory party was in tatters after he broke with Boris Johnson in 2016 and ran for the leadership: he now has the opportunity to show he can be loyal and perhaps earn promotion. | |
| Jacob Rees-Mogg | |
| The European Research Group, chaired by Rees-Mogg, has a choice to make. Do they try to rally 48 names to force a vote of no confidence in May at a time when it appears she would be likely to see off a challenge? Party rules say there can be no further challenge for 12 months, making biding time an attractive option if they are convinced May will come unstuck negotiating a soft Brexit deal they find unpalatable. | |
| Rees-Mogg was emphasising in interviews on Monday that he would not be able to vote for May’s final exit deal if it were on the lines of the Chequers agreement. | |
| Today’s Guardian editorial after Johnson’s resignation (“good riddance to a national embarrassment”) looks at the Conservative party’s tensions and May’s exhausting efforts to maintain stability. | |
| The Tory party has a historic reputation for being serious about power. But the modern Tory party can also be an extraordinarily febrile hothouse. It now faces a battle that was always going to have to be fought eventually, between the fanatics of the right and the pragmatists of the centre-right. Mrs May has been tenacious and sometimes skilful (though sometimes not) in postponing the battle. But the moment has arrived – and it must be resolved. | |
| Former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind appears relaxed about the departures of Boris Johnson and David Davis and believes the cabinet will be stronger for it. | |
| Some excerpts from his opinion piece published today: | |
| As the dust settles, and as British industry adapts to us not being in the EU, we will be able to assert greater freedom even if, over the longer term, we sacrifice some automatic access to European markets. It might take five or 10 years but what is that in the life of a nation? | |
| The resignations of the foreign and Brexit secretaries are causing a short-term crisis, but a large majority of Conservative MPs do not support them. They are what the Chinese would call ‘paper tigers’.” | |
| Johnson’s behaviour has been disgraceful. Having insulted the prime minister at Chequers he then found, over dinner that evening, unconvincing reasons for continuing in her cabinet. Now he lamely follows in Davis’s wake. | |
| If Dominic Raab succeeds in his mission, we will have a highly credible new potential successor to the prime minister. John Major came from behind to claim the crown from Margaret Thatcher; this may be the day we see history repeating itself. | |
| This is what happens when you have men in government who've been raised from birth to believe it's someone else's job to clean up after them. They throw tantrums when they finally make a mess no-one can fix. #Brexit | |
| Justin Madders , Labour’s shadow health minister, has responded to Jeremy Hunt’s ascension, accusing him of overseeing “the worst collapse in patient standards of any health secretary in the history of the NHS”. | |
| “His time in charge will be remembered for soaring waiting lists, huge staffing shortages, and patients left with treatments rationed and operations cancelled in record numbers,” he said. | |
| The pound was frail on Tuesday after this week’s departures raised worries about a hard Brexit. Sterling stands lower at $1.323. | The pound was frail on Tuesday after this week’s departures raised worries about a hard Brexit. Sterling stands lower at $1.323. |
| Simon Derrick, London-based chief currency strategist at BNY Mellon, said: “Current thinking is that May would win a party confidence vote. However, there is a risk that were May to make further compromises in the negotiations with Brussels, more hardline Conservative MPs might be theoretically prepared to abstain or even vote against her in a no confidence vote,” he said. | Simon Derrick, London-based chief currency strategist at BNY Mellon, said: “Current thinking is that May would win a party confidence vote. However, there is a risk that were May to make further compromises in the negotiations with Brussels, more hardline Conservative MPs might be theoretically prepared to abstain or even vote against her in a no confidence vote,” he said. |
| Feeling very proud of my friend @MattHancock tonight - and proud too that my country will be represented abroad by @Jeremy_Hunt. Hard work, moderation and good sense rewarded | Feeling very proud of my friend @MattHancock tonight - and proud too that my country will be represented abroad by @Jeremy_Hunt. Hard work, moderation and good sense rewarded |
| The prime minister faces murmurings of a leadership challenge (note: 1922 committee head Sir Graham Brady said on Monday night that point had not been reached). May’s response focused on the repercussions rather than, say, her own merits: divided parties lose elections. | The prime minister faces murmurings of a leadership challenge (note: 1922 committee head Sir Graham Brady said on Monday night that point had not been reached). May’s response focused on the repercussions rather than, say, her own merits: divided parties lose elections. |
| “If we don’t pull together, we risk the election of Jeremy Corbyn as prime minister,” one cabinet minister said in summary of a party meeting last night. | “If we don’t pull together, we risk the election of Jeremy Corbyn as prime minister,” one cabinet minister said in summary of a party meeting last night. |
| The Sun’s plea: don’t let this ruin the World Cup. | The Sun’s plea: don’t let this ruin the World Cup. |
| The Telegraph says May is preparing for a leadership challenge. | The Telegraph says May is preparing for a leadership challenge. |
| Daily Mail says Boris Johnson is going “in for the kill” after accusing Theresa May of killing Brexit. | Daily Mail says Boris Johnson is going “in for the kill” after accusing Theresa May of killing Brexit. |
| The Daily Mirror focuses on denouncing Johnson. | The Daily Mirror focuses on denouncing Johnson. |
| The FT calls it a “Brexit spat”. | The FT calls it a “Brexit spat”. |
| This morning’s front pages – a round-up of which is here – consist of two main strands: May’s tenure is under threat, and the Brexit “dream is dying” (©Boris Johnson) . The Sun reminds us that this is a distraction from the World Cup, and I cannot disagree with that. | This morning’s front pages – a round-up of which is here – consist of two main strands: May’s tenure is under threat, and the Brexit “dream is dying” (©Boris Johnson) . The Sun reminds us that this is a distraction from the World Cup, and I cannot disagree with that. |
| Hello and welcome to a particularly early edition of the UK politics blog. | Hello and welcome to a particularly early edition of the UK politics blog. |
| Today Jeremy Hunt is the new Boris Johnson, shortly after Dominic Raab became the new David Davis. Theresa May is still the prime minister and is due to chair a meeting of her new-look cabinet. | Today Jeremy Hunt is the new Boris Johnson, shortly after Dominic Raab became the new David Davis. Theresa May is still the prime minister and is due to chair a meeting of her new-look cabinet. |
| The rest of last night’s reshuffle is as follows: | The rest of last night’s reshuffle is as follows: |
| Matt Hancock is the new health secretary. | Matt Hancock is the new health secretary. |
| Jeremy Wright is the new culture secretary. | Jeremy Wright is the new culture secretary. |
| Geoffrey Cox is the new attorney general. | Geoffrey Cox is the new attorney general. |
| Also, Kat Malthouse earlier became the housing minister. And Chris Heaton-Harris became a junior minister at the Brexit department, replacing Steve Baker. | Also, Kat Malthouse earlier became the housing minister. And Chris Heaton-Harris became a junior minister at the Brexit department, replacing Steve Baker. |
| If you need to get up to speed, our wrap of where we stood last night is here. | If you need to get up to speed, our wrap of where we stood last night is here. |