Hammond: I’ll quit before I’m sacked
CHANCELLOR Philip Hammond yesterday announced he will quit if Boris Johnson becomes prime minister, as the exodus of Cabinet Remainers gathered pace.
Mr Hammond said he would resign because he was staunchly opposed to a no-deal Brexit, something Mr Johnson has not ruled out if he cannot get changes to Theresa May’s deal.
He said he would stand down after Mrs May’s last Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, before she goes to hand in her resignation to the Queen. Mr Hammond, who has been in Number 11 for three years, has been a vocal critic of a no-deal Brexit.
Asked if he believed he would be sacked, Mr Hammond said: “No… I’m going to resign before we get to that point.
“Assuming that Boris Johnson becomes the next prime minister, I understand that his conditions for serving in his government would include accepting a no-deal exit on the 31st October and it’s not something that I could ever sign up to.
“It’s very important that the prime minister is able to have a chancellor who is closely aligned with him in terms of policy.”
His revelation came after fellow Cabinet Remainer, Justice Secretary David Gauke, said he will quit this week rather than serve under Mr Johnson, branding a no-deal Brexit a national “humiliation”.
Former leadership candidate and International Development Secretary Rory Stewart is also expected to resign along with up to six other ministers.
It means that Mr Johnson will inherit a Cabinet shorn of several key figures – although those seeking to leave were expected to be sacked anyway.