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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) | |
| Labour leader Tom Watson is on BBC Radio 4 Today. He says Labour want to work to get the best deal for the country. | |
| Is the current meltdown in the government good for anyone? Obviously electorally it might help my party but we want a good deal because families out there require parliament to vote on a good deal. | |
| He is scathing about Boris Johnson saying he has “got a career ahead of him on ‘love yourself island.” | |
| Presenter John Humphrys says the name of the programme is Love Island, but Watson said it should be a new programme. | |
| He’s the only politician in history who posed to signing his own resignation letter. | |
| Watson says Labour is clear about its different set of priorities and its tests for the deal, though he confesses he may not be able to remember them all. | |
| He says it is conceivable that there is “no majority in parliament for any Brexit deal” and says Labour has not ruled out a second referendum. | |
| It is highly, highly, highly unlikely we would support a people’s vote but we haven’t taken that off the table because there are a rare set of circumstances where Parliament just can’t make a decision. And so you keep your options open. | |
| Tom Watson says Labour is keeping options open about supporting another referendum, if Parliament cannot make a decision. | |
| Michael Howard, the former Conservative leader, has been speaking on Radio 4 Today’s programme. He says MPs should not seek to topple the prime minister. | |
| Perhaps a degree of humility is called for all round. | |
| I do think it would be extremely foolish and ill-advised for anyone to send in letters to mount a motion of no confidence in the prime minister. | |
| Howard says there is no prospect of May abandoning the plan but says he hopes there is a chance of modification. He said he would have preferred the original concept of “alignment” rather than a common rulebook. | |
| He says there will be deep unhappiness if further concessions are made in negotiations. | |
| "I don't believe the Brexit dream is dying - there is much water to run through many bridges," Michael Howard tells @BBCr4today, confirming that the Tory party has reached the Simon And Garfunkel stage of its break-up. | |
| Here’s the verdict of Boris Johnson’s tenure at the FCO by the Attorney General of Anguilla, who doesn’t mince words. | |
| Meeting the worst Foreign Secretary we’ve ever had amongst the destruction of Hurricane Irma in Anguilla. Disinterested and out of his depth he cared nothing for our situation. Good riddance pic.twitter.com/udzzpoZ7OW | |
| So who are the other cabinet Brexiters and is there a chance of more resignations? For now, May appears to be safe, though that could change quickly. | |
| The Telegraph reports Penny Mordaunt and Esther McVey have no plans to resign, the other cabinet members who have stayed quiet since the Chequers’ summit. Michael Gove was on the BBC on Sunday defending the deal and both Chris Grayling and Liam Fox have authored newspaper op-eds on its merits. | |
| Another Brexiter, Andrea Leadsom, leader of the House of Commons was on Newsnight last night. “I don’t agree with Boris on this,” Leadsom said. | |
| I have the greatest regard for him, but at the same time I judge this by our red lines as Brexiteers. Are we leaving the EU? Are we taking back control? Are we leaving the customs union and the single market? Will we get rid of free movement? And we will do all of those things. | |
| Good morning, I’m Jessica Elgot taking over from Graham Russell while Andrew Sparrow is away. | Good morning, I’m Jessica Elgot taking over from Graham Russell while Andrew Sparrow is away. |
| Theresa May is preparing to meet her new-look cabinet this morning, including foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, health secretary Matt Hancock, culture secretary Jeremy Wright and new attorney general Geoffrey Cox, who will be attending cabinet. Also newly attending is Dominic Raab, the new Brexit secretary. | |
| Three of them have been publicly effusive about the Chequers deal, agreed at the cabinet summit last Friday, suggesting it is not quite dead yet despite the resignations of David Davis and Boris Johnson, plus a number of other junior ministers. | Three of them have been publicly effusive about the Chequers deal, agreed at the cabinet summit last Friday, suggesting it is not quite dead yet despite the resignations of David Davis and Boris Johnson, plus a number of other junior ministers. |
| Huge honour to be appointed Foreign Secretary at this critical moment in our country’s history. Time to back our PM to get a great Brexit deal - it's now or never... | |
| Hunt was on the airwaves yesterday defending the deal immediately after Davis’ resignation, Hancock has been publicly supportive and just hours before his promotion, keen Brexiter Cox was giving a tub-thumping speech at the 1922 committee of backbenchers on why the deal was a “radical step” in taking back control of UK law. | Hunt was on the airwaves yesterday defending the deal immediately after Davis’ resignation, Hancock has been publicly supportive and just hours before his promotion, keen Brexiter Cox was giving a tub-thumping speech at the 1922 committee of backbenchers on why the deal was a “radical step” in taking back control of UK law. |
| Missing from the airwaves - so far - is Boris Johnson, although he did invited a professional photographer to capture him signing his resignation letter. | Missing from the airwaves - so far - is Boris Johnson, although he did invited a professional photographer to capture him signing his resignation letter. |
| We all know that Boris Johnson’s decision to quit is absolutely not about one man and his personal ambitions, but I’m struggling to think of another time where a Secretary of State called in the photographers to record the moment a resignation letter was signed. https://t.co/35FEuuh9dV | We all know that Boris Johnson’s decision to quit is absolutely not about one man and his personal ambitions, but I’m struggling to think of another time where a Secretary of State called in the photographers to record the moment a resignation letter was signed. https://t.co/35FEuuh9dV |
| Labour deputy leader Tom Watson is on Today and I’ll bring you those comments shortly. The cabinet minister being sent out to bat today by Number 10 is David Gauke, another May loyalist and soft Brexiter, who’ll be on the Today programme later. | Labour deputy leader Tom Watson is on Today and I’ll bring you those comments shortly. The cabinet minister being sent out to bat today by Number 10 is David Gauke, another May loyalist and soft Brexiter, who’ll be on the Today programme later. |
| All eyes are now on the reaction from Europe. German chancellor Angela Merkel arrives in London for the second day of the Western Balkans summit - the one Johnson never turned up to because he was in the process of quitting his job. | All eyes are now on the reaction from Europe. German chancellor Angela Merkel arrives in London for the second day of the Western Balkans summit - the one Johnson never turned up to because he was in the process of quitting his job. |
| Later in the day, there will be a joint press conference featuring May, Merkel and other European leaders. | Later in the day, there will be a joint press conference featuring May, Merkel and other European leaders. |
| Here’s our main story this morning: | Here’s our main story this morning: |
| You can read all today’s Guardian politics stories here. Here is the Politico London Playbook round-up of this morning’s political news from Jack Blanchard. | You can read all today’s Guardian politics stories here. Here is the Politico London Playbook round-up of this morning’s political news from Jack Blanchard. |
| If you wanted to mull over the death of Johnson’s Brexit vision writ large across some of today’s front pages, here is his letter of resignation in full, followed by May’s response. | If you wanted to mull over the death of Johnson’s Brexit vision writ large across some of today’s front pages, here is his letter of resignation in full, followed by May’s response. |
| Dan Sabbagh has taken at look at where the three key figures now stand: | Dan Sabbagh has taken at look at where the three key figures now stand: |
| Theresa May | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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: | 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? | 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’.” | 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. | 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. | 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 | 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”. | 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. | “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. |