Philip Hammond is trying to **** up Brexit, Cabinet minister says
2 min read
Philip Hammond is trying to “**** up” Brexit and views Leave supporters as a “bunch of smarmy pirates", it has been claimed.
In the latest salvo in the civil war between Tory leadership contenders, a Cabinet minister told the Daily Telegraph that that the Chancellor and the Treasury are the “establishment" and that without the Prime Minister in place the “the whole thing will fall apart”.
The comments are the latest attack on the Chancellor after five ministers told the Sunday Times he had told last week's Cabinet meeting that public sector workers are "overpaid".
A separate story in The Sun claimed Mr Hammond told the same meeting that modern trains are so easy to drive that "even women can do it".
“What's really going on is that the Establishment, the Treasury, is trying to **** it up. They want to frustrate Brexit,” the minister told the Telegraph.
"This is a critical moment. That's why we have to keep Theresa there. Otherwise the whole thing will fall apart."
The minister claimed Mr Hammond views Brexiteers as "a bunch of smarmy pirates" who have "taken the Establishment prisoner".
Iain Duncan Smith yesterday told the plotters to “shut up, for goodness sake”, while International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said they should “be very quiet” and “drink less prosecco”.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported this morning that Theresa May now has the support of her backbenchers to fire her warring Cabinet colleagues.
She reportedly received a message from the backbench 1922 committee saying she has their support to remain in place to deliver Brexit in early 2019.
One senior Conservative told the paper: “The PM has the strong support of Tory MPs — she can enforce cabinet discipline however she thinks is appropriate...We will be cheering her on.”
Transport Secretry Chris Grayling denied the Cabinet was at war.
He told the Today programme: "What I was reading over the weekend was about rows in the Cabinet which simply didn't happen.
"I don't see these great divisions that I was reading about the Sunday newspapers and I have to say I think all of this is somewhat overplayed.
"What I know is that we are not a group of clones, we have discussions around the Cabinet table and outside Cabinet, we debate issues, we decide what's right and we get on with it. I'm very clear that the Cabinet and the party are united behind Theresa May, united in determination to get the right deal for the country in Brexit negotiations and to continue the economic progress we have made."
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