GOVE SNUBS PM’S JOB OFFER
He may walk after ‘turning down Brexit role’ – and two more ministers could join him
Michael Gove was said to be on the brink of resigning last night after turning down Theresa May’s invitation to become Brexit Secretary.
The environment Secretary is considering his position and could follow Dominic Raab and esther McVey out of the door as soon as today.
Mr Gove, the most senior leave campaigner left in government, was yesterday offered Mr Raab’s old job as Brexit Secretary.
But he told the Prime Minister he would only accept it if she let him reopen negotiations with Brussels.
With Mrs May apparently unwilling to agree, Mr Gove was understood to have turned the job down and left considering whether to quit the cabinet. his position is likely to become clear today.
also last night, Mrs May held crisis talks with aid Secretary Penny Mordaunt, another Brexiteer, in a bid to prevent her handing in her resignation.
and Transport Secretary chris Grayling was also understood to be on the brink of quitting.
last night Downing Street would not comment on reports that Mr Gove was likely to quit.
if Mr Gove does go, it would be a remarkable turnaround as only on Wednesday he was one of the few pro-Brexit ministers to speak up in support of the deal in cabinet.
But yesterday he was understood to have told Number 10 that he would only accept the position of heading up the Department for exiting the european Union (Dexeu) if Mrs May agreed to allow negotiators to go back to Brussels to secure a deal which could get through Parliament. That would involve cancelling the November 25 summit at which the other eU member states are due to discuss the proposed deal.
asked about speculation about Mr Gove in her press conference, Mrs May said: ‘Michael has done an excellent job at Defra, particularly in his defence of the fishing industry.
‘Michael has been doing an excellent job in ensuring we are delivering on that commitment that we have to come out of the common Fisheries Policy.
‘i have not yet appointed a new Dexeu Secretary and i will of course be making appointments in due course.’
another waverer is Miss Mordaunt, the international Development Secretary.
She criticised the deal in Wednesday’s cabinet meeting and last night she went back to Number 10 for another meeting with Mrs May. Miss Mordaunt has been urging the Prime Minister to give Tory MPs a free vote on the deal in the commons – allowing opponents to vote against it without defying the party whip.
She was named as a potential pro-Brexit successor to Mrs May by Jacob Rees-Mogg yesterday.
‘I am determined to support her’
Pro-Brexit Mr Grayling, the under-fire Transport Secretary, was also considering his position last night.
however, another leave supporter in the cabinet – andrea leadsom – insisted she has no plans to quit and will support Mrs May in securing a Brexit deal.
The commons leader, who attends cabinet as part of her role, hit back after her SNP counterpart Pete Wishart joked she had upset his ‘Brexit resignation bingo coupon’, adding: ‘i had her definitely down as a resigner.’
Mrs leadsom replied: ‘Normally i’m very happy to entertain (Mr Wishart’s) banter but i think all he’s done today is to demonstrate he’s not very good at bingo.
‘i am staying in government because there is more work to be done to get the Brexit that the Prime Minister wants to deliver to the people, and therefore i am determined to support her to do that.’
Downing Street said no appointments to replace Mr Raab or former Work and Pensions Secretary Miss McVey were expected last night.
One option being considered is to merge the Department for exiting the european Union with the Department for international Trade, which is headed by liam Fox. This would see Dr Fox taking over as the head of a new beefedup Brexit department.
Others to quit yesterday were Brexit minister Suella Braverman, Northern ireland minister Shailesh Vara, justice minister Ranil Jayawardena, education aide anneMarie Trevelyan and conservative Party vice-chairman (communities) Rehman chishti.
Mrs May faced the prospect of minority government last night after senior DUP figures suggested the agreement that props her up was all but dead.
in an angry exchange in the commons Nigel Dodds, the party’s Westminster leader, accused Mrs May of not having listened to their concerns.
if the Northern irish party carries out its threat not to back the PM’s Brussels plan, it would mean the end of the ‘confidence and supply agreement’ that gives her a majority in the commons.