Philip Hammond sparks outrage after branding Boris Johnson and David Davis ‘Brexit Bogeymen’ and says ‘trade deals will be easier’
Chancellor Philip Hammond caused even more tension within the Conservative Party after claiming deal will be easier now
PHILIP Hammond has sparked a furious row after branding Boris Johnson a Brexit “bogeyman”.
In an astonishing outburst, the Chancellor said there is more chance of striking a deal since Bojo quit the Cabinet.
And he claimed the departure of Brexit Secretary David Davis would strengthen Britain’s hand in the next round of talks.
Mr Hammond told colleagues there were “upsides and downsides” to the wave of resignations over the PM's Chequers Brexit blueprint.
He said: “They know we are serious. We are pushing the envelope.”
But when discussion turned to the loss of two Cabinet big guns, the usually gloomy Chancellor delivered a rare upbeat verdict.
He declared: “The two main bogeymen have been taken off the board.”
Last night his off-the-cuff remark was described as “arrogant” and “disdainful” by angry Brexiteers.
They claimed it betrayed his staunch Remainer tendencies and determination to keep Britain shackled to the EU.
A senior Brexiteer said last night: “With each day that passes, it is clear that this is more and more a Remain-run Brexit.
“We have a Remain Prime Minister, a Remain Cabinet Office and most clearly of all a Remain Chancellor who is happy to undermine British interests and wave the white flag of surrender to Brussels as these comments prove once again.
“It shows he is on the side of Brussels and not the 17.4million people who voted to leave the EU.”
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith added: “There is no room in the Conservative party for arrogant and disdainful remarks about colleagues.
“Who’s to say that, for some, it may well be the Chancellor who turns out to be the bogeyman.”
Too late to May swap
A TORY MP behind a plot to topple Theresa May has said it’s too late to change leader now.
Grant Shapps, who called for an “orderly” change after the 2017 election shambles, urged MPs to close ranks and get EU talks done.
Writing in The Sun on Sunday, he says any moment for a change has “long since passed”.
Tory MP Andrea Jenkyns, who quit as a ministerial aide over the Chequers blueprint, added: “I have nothing but the highest admiration for my colleagues David Davis and Boris Johnson.
“They both made a brave and principled stand in putting the country before their party or their careers.
“As for the Chancellor, if I were him, I’d be worred about the reaction of 17.4million people who voted for Brexit and already feel betrayed. They won’t be going away.
“Philip Hammond has become nothing more than a mouthpiece for the PM’s EU-loving Europe adviser Olly Robbins.”
Mr Hammond’s outburst has put Theresa May’s attempts to restore Cabinet unity at risk.
The Chancellor, who is no stranger to Cabinet bust-ups, has clashed with several colleagues over Brexit and the squeeze on spending.
He was accused of likening Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson to Private Pike from TV comedy classic Dad’s Army.
After a clash over lack of military funding, an ally of Mr Hammond said: “Williamson doesn’t know one end of a rifle from the other.
“When he is with all these grizzled old forces types, he just sites there looking like Private Pike from Dad’s Army.”
An ally said: “I’ve never heard Philip use the word bogeyman against any colleague. He is a great admirer of David Davis and would never talk in a disparaging way about him.
“Perhaps he was saying that the EU saw these two people as bogeymen. I’m sure Philip never has.”
A senior Cabinet source said Mr Hammond was expressing the harsh reality – in his trademark clumsy way.
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He said: “I agreed with Philip’s sentiments but not the language used.
“I suspect he was trying to say it is important to have a Cabinet united behind the same plan and removing two outspoken critics is a positive step.
“However, to call hem bogeymen is over the top and will only inflame the precarious peace between the Leave and Remain camps.”
The Sun Says
CHANCELLOR Philip Hammond claims the resignations of the Government’s “two main bogeymen” — Boris Johnson and David Davis — will help secure a good Brexit deal.
If that’s the case then surely we won’t be conceding any more to Brussels.
The evidence on Friday — when the EU slapped down Theresa May’s Chequers offers — suggests otherwise.
Hammond’s disparaging remark shows that Remainers are at the heart of Theresa May’s Government, running the show at the expense of Leave voices.
This Government sees Brexit as a damage-limitation exercise rather than a golden opportunity for Britain to reinvent itself as a global and buccaneering free nation.
How can we ever achieve Brexit in full if the Government itself is so institutionally Euro-phile? We need more Brexiteers at the heart of the project.
Meanwhile, it is clear that the PM’s Chequers plan has not only failed to win over Brussels, but also her party. The grassroots are livid.
It was as generous an offer as Mrs May could politically have tabled.
Every time we are reasonable in our approach, the EU slaps us down. They are determined to punish us.
We can’t just keep giving while the EU arrogantly takes. Enough is enough.
It is clear Mrs May needs to change her approach to Brexit - and fast.
The PM has repeatedly said: “No deal is better than a bad deal”.
She must be true to her words — and properly start planning for such a scenario.
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