Remainers in the Cabinet take advantage of PM's holiday absence
A hard Brexit is being challenged this summer and Remainers in the Cabinet are enjoying a renaissance, writes Beth Rigby.
Wednesday 2 August 2017 08:35, UK
Theresa May departed for her annual hiking holiday in the Swiss and Italian Alps on Monday - but if you thought that might lead to a pause in politics, think again.
Leading Remainers in her Cabinet are using her absence to draw up a Brexit plan.
Chancellor Philip Hammond seized on his position as caretaker prime minister last week to spearhead a pro-business Brexit policy - arguing there should be no immediate changes to immigration or trading rules when Britain leaves the EU in March 2019.
Meanwhile, fellow arch-Remainer Amber Rudd pledged Britain would not close the door to European workers after Brexit, telling employers they will have up to three years of transition to adjust their recruitment practices once Britain has left the bloc.
A liberal post-Brexit immigration regime is not quite where many colleagues sit.
Leading Brexiteer and International Trade Secretary, Liam Fox, made the point over the weekend that unregulated free movement after Brexit would "not keep the faith" with the EU referendum result.
He also pointed out that the Cabinet had no agreed position on immigration after Britain quits the EU by the end of March 2019.
But if you were waiting for a big Cabinet bust-up (in public at least), none was forthcoming.
Fellow Brexiteers Michael Gove, Boris Johnson and David Davis - who had been so determined to fight their corner in the referendum - went to ground.
Sat upon and silenced in the immediate aftermath of the 2016 referendum, downtrodden Remainers in Cabinet suddenly have the whip hand.
What has changed? Could it be that ideologues have put their principles to one side when faced with the practicalities of leaving a trading bloc that has shaped Britain's economic and immigration policy for 40 years?
Could it be that they are staring at the cliff edge of a hard Brexit and wondering whether it might be better to abseil down than jump straight off?
Certainly the Remainers have been emboldened by an election that denied their leader a commanding majority to force through her hardline Brexit.
As one of Mr Hammond's Cabinet allies told me today, the Chancellor is not freelancing, rather he is reflecting a view shared by many colleagues.
The Brexiteers won the ideological battle to leave the EU - a defeat that Remainers are now reconciled to.
There is no talk around the Cabinet table about trying to unpick the will of the people.
But senior party figures are equally aware that 48% of the population wanted to Remain, and many of those came out to vote against Mrs May and her hard Brexit in June.
It gives them a mandate to shape what comes next. They may have lost the referendum but they are gearing up to fight for a soft landing.
Mr Hammond has fired the first shots, but watch for more.