Western Morning News (Saturday)
New Brexit Secretary is appointed
Leave-supporting Stephen Barclay was last night promoted to Brexit Secretary following the dramatic resignation on Thursday of Dominic Raab in protest at Theresa May’s Brexit deal. Mr Barclay moves from a ministerial role in the Department for Health. The reshuffle came after Michael Gove threw the Prime Minister a lifeline by staying on in his role as Defra Secretary.
Michael Gove insisted he still has confidence in Theresa May after deciding he will stay in her Cabinet.
Following the resignation of four ministers in the wake of her poorly-received Brexit deal on Thursday, speculation was rife that the departure of the most senior Leave campaigner in her Cabinet could deal a damaging blow to the Prime Minister.
But Mrs May faces mounting pressure from within Tory ranks as further MPs called for her to be ousted.
Speaking outside his departmental office, Environment Secretary Mr Gove was asked if he had confidence in the Prime Minister and replied: “I absolutely do.”
He added: “I am looking forward to continuing to work with all colleagues in Government and in Parliament to get the best future for Britain.”
Mr Gove threw a lifeline to the Prime Minister by staying in government despite re- portedly turning down the post of Brexit Secretary vacated by Dominic Raab after saying he would only take it if he could renegotiate the EU withdrawal agreement. Last night Stephen Barclay was promoted to Brexit Secretary from a ministerial role in the Department for Health.
Mrs May told LBC she had “a very good conversation” with Mr Gove on Thursday, but declined to say what they had discussed, other than the future of the fishing industry after Brexit.
She said the Environment Secretary had been doing “a great job”.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said Mrs May was “very pleased” that Mr Gove will stay on and “continue doing the important work he is doing”.
There was also support from Brexiteer Trade Secretary Liam Fox, who said he had “full confidence in the Prime Minister” and “what we need now is stability”.
And in a marked departure from Mrs May’s “no deal is better than a bad deal” mantra he told an event in Bristol: “Ultimately I hope that across Parliament we’ll recognise that a deal is better than no deal”.
In a half-hour phone-in on the radio station, Mrs May faced repeated calls to stand down from members of the public.
One caller told the PM that Jacob Rees-Mogg would make a better leader, while another said she had “appeased” the EU like Neville Chamberlain in his negotiations with Hitler.
Meanwhile, former culture secretary John Whittingdale and ex-minister Mark Francois were among the latest Tories to submit letters of no confidence in Mrs May as Conservative leader.
Sources indicated that the number of letters submitted to Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the backbench 1922 Committee, may now be nearing the 48 needed to trigger a vote.