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Brexit: Michael Gove 'absolutely' confident in Theresa May Brexit: Gove and Fox back May as PM seeks to quell Tory revolt
(35 minutes later)
Michael Gove says he "absolutely" has confidence in Theresa May as she pursues her Brexit deal. Leading Brexiteers in the cabinet have rallied behind Theresa May amid attempts to unseat her by Tory MPs.
Rumours had been rife that the environment secretary would follow fellow Brexiteers out of the cabinet in protest at the EU withdrawal agreement. Michael Gove said he "absolutely" had confidence in Mrs May as he confirmed he would not be following several other ministers out of the door.
But he told reporters on Friday that he was focused on working in cabinet to get "the right deal in the future". And Liam Fox urged MPs to support the PM's draft Brexit agreement, saying a "deal was better than no deal".
Mr Gove reportedly rejected an offer to make him Brexit secretary after Dominic Raab's exit. It came as more Conservatives expressed unhappiness with Mrs May's leadership and urged a confidence vote.
The PM has said her Brexit agreement is "truly the best deal for Britain". The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg said about 20 Tories have, so far, publicly stated they have submitted letters of no confidence in the PM over her handling of Brexit.
The BBC understands Mr Gove said he would only accept the job of Brexit Secretary if he could try to make changes to the negotiated deal - something Mrs May and EU leaders have made clear is not possible. This is some way short of the 48 needed to trigger a vote under Conservative Party rules.
One of those to do so, ex-minister Mark Francois, said the draft agreement negotiated by Mrs May with the EU was "truly awful" and the prime minister "just doesn't listen" to concerns within her party.
Ex-Brexit minister Steve Baker suggested the European Research Group of Brexiteer Tory MPs, headed by Jacob Rees-Mogg, would "collectively agree" which candidate was best-placed to deliver the Brexit they wanted and back them in a future contest.
But Cabinet Office minister David Lidington said Mrs May would win any contest "decisively" and "deserved to" since there was "no plausible alternative" to her approach.
Rumours had been rife that Mr Gove, a key figure in the 2016 Leave campaign, would follow fellow Brexiteers out of the cabinet in protest at the EU withdrawal agreement.
But the environment secretary, who reportedly rejected an offer to make him Brexit secretary after Dominic Raab's exit, told reporters on Friday he was focused on working in cabinet to get "the right deal in the future".
Asked if he had confidence in the PM, Mr Gove said: "I absolutely do."Asked if he had confidence in the PM, Mr Gove said: "I absolutely do."
He added: "I'm also looking forward to continuing to work with all my government colleagues and all my colleagues in parliament in order to make sure that we get the best future for Britain. He added: "I'm also looking forward to continuing to work with all my government colleagues and all my colleagues in parliament in order to make sure that we get the best future for Britain."
"I think it's absolutely vital that we focus on getting the right deal in the future and making sure that in the areas that matter so much to the British people we can get the right outcome." International Trade Secretary Liam Fox told an event in Bristol: "We are not elected to do what we want to do, but to do what is in the national interest."
Fellow Brexiteer and cabinet member Liam Fox told an event in Bristol: "We are not elected to do what we want to do, but to do what is in the national interest." Speaking in public for the first time since the withdrawal agreement was signed off by cabinet, Mr Fox said he hopes MPs "will take a rational and reasonable view" of the deal.
Speaking in public for the first time since the withdrawal agreement was signed off by cabinet, he said he hopes MPs "will take a rational and reasonable view" of the deal.
He added: "I hope across parliament we recognise that a deal is better than no deal, and businesses require certainty - it's in our national interest to provide certainty as soon as possible."He added: "I hope across parliament we recognise that a deal is better than no deal, and businesses require certainty - it's in our national interest to provide certainty as soon as possible."
AnalysisAnalysis
By BBC Assistant Political Editor Norman SmithBy BBC Assistant Political Editor Norman Smith
Michael Gove is not resigning because he thinks that even at this very late hour, he is the person who can make Theresa May change course with Brexit.Michael Gove is not resigning because he thinks that even at this very late hour, he is the person who can make Theresa May change course with Brexit.
This is a huge relief for Theresa May, who meanwhile has been carrying on with business as usual by trying to sell her deal.This is a huge relief for Theresa May, who meanwhile has been carrying on with business as usual by trying to sell her deal.
Theresa May has made it absolutely clear that she is going nowhere.Theresa May has made it absolutely clear that she is going nowhere.
Senior placed Tory MPs are saying they have reached the magic 48 letters needed for a vote of confidence against Theresa May, but Sir Graham Brady - chairman of the 1922 committee - is giving precious little away.Senior placed Tory MPs are saying they have reached the magic 48 letters needed for a vote of confidence against Theresa May, but Sir Graham Brady - chairman of the 1922 committee - is giving precious little away.
A Conservative party leadership challenge is most definitely looming, if not this morning or this afternoon, by the weekend.A Conservative party leadership challenge is most definitely looming, if not this morning or this afternoon, by the weekend.
Michael Gove is a bit of a man of mystery, but if he doesn't take the Brexit Secretary role, it begs the question of who would take that job.Michael Gove is a bit of a man of mystery, but if he doesn't take the Brexit Secretary role, it begs the question of who would take that job.
Mr Gove's decision to stay is a boost for Mrs May, who has gone on the offensive as speculation swirls around Westminster about a vote of no-confidence in her, which could lead to her removal as prime minister and a change of course on Brexit. Mr Gove's decision to stay was a boost for Mrs May, who followed up a defiant Downing Street press conference on Thursday with a live phone-in on Friday morning on LBC radio, during which two callers said she should stand aside.
She followed up a defiant Downing Street press conference on Thursday with a live phone-in on Friday morning on LBC radio, during which two callers said she should stand aside.
She compared herself to her cricketing hero Geoffrey Boycott who she said had "kept at the crease and carried on".She compared herself to her cricketing hero Geoffrey Boycott who she said had "kept at the crease and carried on".
Asked whether she still had the support of the Democratic Unionists, on whom she relies upon for her Commons majority, she said she was "still working with" Arlene Foster's party. Ex-Culture Secretary John Whittingdale is among the latest Tory MP to demand a vote of confidence in the PM while a number of MPs, including Mr Francois and Adam Holloway, publicly tweeted copies of their letter.
But this prompted a blistering response from veteran Conservative MP Nicholas Soames.
EU ambassadors meetEU ambassadors meet
Ambassadors from EU member states also met in Brussels on Friday morning to discuss the agreement.Ambassadors from EU member states also met in Brussels on Friday morning to discuss the agreement.
The bloc's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, paid tribute to Mrs May, but said that the EU had to protect its principles even if there were political problems in the UK.The bloc's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, paid tribute to Mrs May, but said that the EU had to protect its principles even if there were political problems in the UK.
BBC Brussels reporter Adam Fleming said the consensus from the meeting was that the EU should keep calm and not provoke the situation in the UK.BBC Brussels reporter Adam Fleming said the consensus from the meeting was that the EU should keep calm and not provoke the situation in the UK.
He said ambassadors have pencilled in another meeting on Sunday, ahead of a meeting of European affairs ministers on Monday.
The government unveiled its long-awaited draft withdrawal agreement on Wednesday, which sets out the terms of the UK's departure from the EU, over 585 pages.The government unveiled its long-awaited draft withdrawal agreement on Wednesday, which sets out the terms of the UK's departure from the EU, over 585 pages.
But Mrs May is facing opposition from across the political spectrum to the draft deal, which must be approved by Parliament, with critics saying it will leave the UK indefinitely tied to the EU.But Mrs May is facing opposition from across the political spectrum to the draft deal, which must be approved by Parliament, with critics saying it will leave the UK indefinitely tied to the EU.
The draft agreement has also upset some Tory backbenchers, including leading Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, who said he and others had submitted letters of no confidence in Mrs May to the chairman of the Conservatives' backbench 1922 Committee.
Forty eight letters are needed to trigger a confidence vote.
It is also understood that a group of cabinet ministers are also considering whether to try to force Mrs May to make some changes to the withdrawal deal.It is also understood that a group of cabinet ministers are also considering whether to try to force Mrs May to make some changes to the withdrawal deal.
Former Brexit Secretary David Davis said there was still time to improve the text.
"The European Union has spun this out deliberately to try to use time against us," he told BBC Radio 4's Today. "But European negotiations are never over until they're concluded."
The provisional agreement sets out commitments over citizens' rights after Brexit, the proposed 21-month transition period, the £39bn "divorce bill" and, most controversially, the "backstop" to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
It still needs to get the stamp of approval from MPs in Parliament, and finally from the 27 other EU member states.
Elsewhere, some of Mrs May's own backbenchers warned the deal would not command support in the House of Commons, when it is put to a vote in early December.
Tory MP Mark Francois said that with Labour, the SNP, the Lib Dems and Northern Ireland's DUP planning to vote against it - alongside, he said, more than 80 Tory MPs - it was "mathematically impossible to get this deal through the House of Commons" and it was "dead on arrival".
However during a press conference in Downing Street, Mrs May said abandoning the withdrawal deal would be "to take a path of deep and grave uncertainty when the British people just want us to get on with it".