UK PM seeks to quell cabinet in-fighting over Brexit strategy
London, UK - British Prime Minister Theresa May will seek to reimpose order on her ministers after a series of damaging leaks pointing to cabinet splits on Brexit, her spokesman said on Monday.
The Conservative leader will use Tuesday’s regular cabinet meeting to ‘remind’ colleagues to keep their discussions private and urge them to focus on the job of government, he said.
Ahead of the resumption of key Brexit negotiations in Brussels on Monday, the weekend newspapers were filled with stories about warring ministers, as well as leaks targeting Finance Minister Philip Hammond.
“Cabinet must be able to hold discussions on government policy in private and the prime minister will be reminding her colleagues of that at the cabinet meeting tomorrow,” May’s spokesman said. “She will just be reminding them of their responsibilities,” he said.
Hammond hit back on Sunday, blaming the ‘noise’ on rivals who disagreed with his position that Britain must be careful to prioritise the economy when it withdraws from EU.
But his words seemed only to fuel the fire, with an unnamed cabinet minister accusing him in Monday’s Daily Telegraph of trying to ‘frustrate’ Brexit. The minister said Hammond viewed Brexit supporters as ‘a bunch of smarmy pirates’ who have ‘taken the establishment prisoner’.
Meanwhile May’s spokesman said: “The government is all working together to deliver a Brexit which delivers on the will of the British people.”