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Duncan Smith calls for May's cabinet to quit if Brexit bill published Duncan Smith calls for May's cabinet to quit if Brexit bill published
(about 16 hours later)
The former Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith has stepped up the pressure on Theresa May by urging her cabinet to resign en masse if the revised EU withdrawal bill is published on Friday.The former Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith has stepped up the pressure on Theresa May by urging her cabinet to resign en masse if the revised EU withdrawal bill is published on Friday.
Downing Street is still insisting May plans to publish the bill despite Andrea Leadsom’s resignation as leader of the House of Commons and speculation that the prime minister will have to set a date for her departure on Friday.Downing Street is still insisting May plans to publish the bill despite Andrea Leadsom’s resignation as leader of the House of Commons and speculation that the prime minister will have to set a date for her departure on Friday.
On Wednesday May declined to schedule meetings with several cabinet ministers, including Sajid Javid and David Mundell, who had planned to express their displeasure at her pledge of a Commons vote on a second EU referendum.On Wednesday May declined to schedule meetings with several cabinet ministers, including Sajid Javid and David Mundell, who had planned to express their displeasure at her pledge of a Commons vote on a second EU referendum.
Speaking to TalkRadio, Duncan Smith said if May was not prepared to listen to members of her cabinet, it was time for Philip May to intervene. “The only person closest to her is clearly her husband, and I think somebody has to say look, nobody likes this … Politics is a nasty, sometimes brutal, ghastly business. But the reality is that she has no confidence any longer, not just in her party but in the cabinet as well. So the best thing for her and the best thing for everybody else is to break away and say its time to find a new leader.”Speaking to TalkRadio, Duncan Smith said if May was not prepared to listen to members of her cabinet, it was time for Philip May to intervene. “The only person closest to her is clearly her husband, and I think somebody has to say look, nobody likes this … Politics is a nasty, sometimes brutal, ghastly business. But the reality is that she has no confidence any longer, not just in her party but in the cabinet as well. So the best thing for her and the best thing for everybody else is to break away and say its time to find a new leader.”
The environment secretary’s campaign plan was knocked off course by revelations about drug-taking. The environment secretary’s campaign plan was knocked off course by revelations about drug-taking. He has sought to regain his place as the leading ‘Stop Boris’ with a series of policy pledges.
He has sought to regain his place as the leading ‘Stop Boris’ with a series of policy pledges, from a new social insurance to pay for social care, to changing human rights law to prevent service personnel being pursued over historical crimes. He has better Brexiter credentials than Hunt, is liked by the moderate wing of the party, and is a better orator than almost any other candidate. Gove has privately reassured colleagues over recent months that he understands the devastating consequences of a no-deal Brexit, not least for his own environment department.
He has played up his senior role in the Vote Leave campaign, saying he had ‘led from the front’ because he believed it was ‘the right thing to do, at a critical moment in our history’. He has also stressed his background as a reformer, and promised to boost education funding and tackle social care funding – all pitches that could appeal to Stewartites, potentially enabling Gove to overtake Jeremy Hunt. 
On Brexit he has publicly discussed the idea of extending the Brexit deadline slightly beyond 31 October, if needed to finalise a deal. Has not completely ruled out a no-deal Brexit.
He received 37 votes in the first round, 41 in the second, and 51 in the third round, placing him third each time.He received 37 votes in the first round, 41 in the second, and 51 in the third round, placing him third each time.
The foreign secretary has made the case that he is the most serious and experienced would-be leader, in an apparent rebuke to his main rival, Boris Johnson.  Hunt’s team called his showing on Wednesday a 'fantastic result'. It was, in the sense that he avoided being overtaken by Gove, and that he picked up an extra eight votes from Tuesday’s showing of 46.
On Brexit he believes a new deal is possible by 31 October, and would send a new, cross-party negotiating team to Brussels. Would countenance leaving EU without a deal, but has warned that could lead to a confidence vote and potentially an election. But there is no doubt that after three rounds of voting Hunt would have hoped to be the obvious challenger to Johnson, whereas he was only narrowly ahead of Gove, with just three votes in it.
Hunt’s problem is he is seen as the continuity candidate, the safe pair of hands, when colleagues are starting to see the attraction of a new style.  The foreign secretary’s team are conscious that he risks appearing middle-of-the-road, with his rivals dismissing him as 'continuity May', or worse, Theresa in trousers, or 'Tit' for short.
He received 43 votes in the first round and 46 votes in the second round. He continued to be in second place in the third round with 54 votes.He received 43 votes in the first round and 46 votes in the second round. He continued to be in second place in the third round with 54 votes.
Javid struggled to define himself in the first days of the campaign, not a fresh face, not a safe pair of hands, or a true Brexit believer. But his campaign picked up, with the endorsement of popular Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, a polished leadership video telling the moving story of his background, and a lively launch speech. It was still only enough to place him fifth, though. Before his punchy performance in Tuesday’s debate Javid appeared vulnerable, with some allies fearing that he could be overtaken by Stewart, whose off-the-wall campaign style had helped him to remain in contention.
On Brexit, Javid says he wants to leave with a deal, but has talked down the idea of another extension and would be prepared to opt for no deal. But Javid scored one of the few clear victories amid the cacophony in the BBC studio, bouncing his four colleagues into promising an independent inquiry into Islamophobia in their party – a promise the winner will now be held to.
He is expected to make a new push to define himself as the change candidate who can talk to Tory voters in new places – though he may also be tempted to drop out to tuck in behind one of the frontrunners. It is hard to see how he could make it into the final two from this position. His campaign team professed themselves delighted with the result, and will now turn their attention to trying to win over Stewart’s backers, by stressing Javid’s liberal credentials.
However, one moderate former Tory minister, who had backed Javid in the first round because of personal loyalty, said: “I like him, but I can’t support him because I don’t agree with his politics – he’s a Thatcherite.”
He received 23 votes in the first round, 33 votes in the second, and 38 in the third.He received 23 votes in the first round, 33 votes in the second, and 38 in the third.
The former foreign secretary already has enough support to progress through to the members’ ballot. All Johnson needs to do is sit tight, keep his MPs sweet and try not to ruin it for himself. He has kept a low profile in the media and stayed in the tearooms and in his office, methodically talking round colleagues. His team know that one negative news cycle because of an off-guard comment could see his star plummet – and Johnson is more prone to those than most. Johnson’s progress to Downing Street appeared unstoppable even before last week’s first round of voting among MPs, and most of his colleagues believe it is now all but inevitable that he will be Britain’s next prime minister.
On Brexit he has promised the UK will leave the EU on 31 October, come what may, even without a deal if a new agreement cannot be reached in time. His well-disciplined campaign team will continue with their strategy of subjecting him to minimal media exposure, though once the field is narrowed down to two, the final pair will appear in more than a dozen head-to-head hustings for Tory members. The team’s main aim is simply to keep heads down and avoid Johnson creating headlines for the wrong reasons.
Johnson won the first round with 114 votes, and the second round with 126 votes. He won the third round with 143 votes.Johnson won the first round with 114 votes, and the second round with 126 votes. He won the third round with 143 votes.
Asked what he would advise the cabinet if the bill was published on Friday as May plans, Duncan Smith said: “If this bill is published tomorrow, I’m afraid you have to walk. And you are not doing the prime minister a kindness if you assist her in this charade any longer.”Asked what he would advise the cabinet if the bill was published on Friday as May plans, Duncan Smith said: “If this bill is published tomorrow, I’m afraid you have to walk. And you are not doing the prime minister a kindness if you assist her in this charade any longer.”
On Friday May is due to discuss a timetable for her departure with Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 Committee of backbenchers. The committee’s executive held a secret sealed ballot on Wednesday on whether to rewrite party rules to allow another leadership challenge if she refuses to quit. If May does not give a date for resignation, the sealed ballots will be opened.On Friday May is due to discuss a timetable for her departure with Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 Committee of backbenchers. The committee’s executive held a secret sealed ballot on Wednesday on whether to rewrite party rules to allow another leadership challenge if she refuses to quit. If May does not give a date for resignation, the sealed ballots will be opened.
Duncan Smith said if May resigned now the party could have a new pro-Brexit leader by July who was prepared to the leave the EU without a deal. “The leadership election could be complete if it was started now before we rose for the summer break, giving a new leader the chance to get their ducks in a row and get over to Europe and say right, this is it, this is dead, this is what you have to do or we’re off on the 31st [of October] without a withdrawal agreement.”Duncan Smith said if May resigned now the party could have a new pro-Brexit leader by July who was prepared to the leave the EU without a deal. “The leadership election could be complete if it was started now before we rose for the summer break, giving a new leader the chance to get their ducks in a row and get over to Europe and say right, this is it, this is dead, this is what you have to do or we’re off on the 31st [of October] without a withdrawal agreement.”
Duncan Smith said May’s speech on Tuesday setting out her 10-point “new deal” was “as close to a disaster as I could possibly imagine”.Duncan Smith said May’s speech on Tuesday setting out her 10-point “new deal” was “as close to a disaster as I could possibly imagine”.
He added: “The prime minister has so fixed herself to the idea that she would deliver this bill that it has almost become an obsession. The reality now is that somebody needs to calmly sit down and say look, it’s over for this withdrawal agreement.”He added: “The prime minister has so fixed herself to the idea that she would deliver this bill that it has almost become an obsession. The reality now is that somebody needs to calmly sit down and say look, it’s over for this withdrawal agreement.”
Duncan Smith predicted the party would get a “trouncing” in Thursday’s European elections. He said the party’s “big mistake” had been not choosing a leader who genuinely believed in Brexit.Duncan Smith predicted the party would get a “trouncing” in Thursday’s European elections. He said the party’s “big mistake” had been not choosing a leader who genuinely believed in Brexit.
He blamed Michael Gove, now the environment secretary, for derailing Boris Johnson’s bid to become leader in 2016. Duncan Smith said: “Had the original election in which Michael Gove decided to knife Boris Johnson and the whole thing collapsed from the leaders of the Brexit group – had that not been the case I think we’d be out by now. That has been the tragedy from the word go: that personal ambition was placed ahead of delivering for the British people. That must never happen again.”He blamed Michael Gove, now the environment secretary, for derailing Boris Johnson’s bid to become leader in 2016. Duncan Smith said: “Had the original election in which Michael Gove decided to knife Boris Johnson and the whole thing collapsed from the leaders of the Brexit group – had that not been the case I think we’d be out by now. That has been the tragedy from the word go: that personal ambition was placed ahead of delivering for the British people. That must never happen again.”
He added: “A leading Brexiteer has to lead the party and the country out at the very latest by 31 October, deal or no deal.”He added: “A leading Brexiteer has to lead the party and the country out at the very latest by 31 October, deal or no deal.”
Theresa MayTheresa May
Conservative leadershipConservative leadership
ConservativesConservatives
Iain Duncan SmithIain Duncan Smith
BrexitBrexit
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