Politics

Michael Gove joins crowded Tory leadership race – live news


Follow live updates as the battle to lead the Conservative party is played out in a round of broadcast interviews with some of the key contenders

Hammond’s comments suggests this leadership race is going to be very feisty if not hostile. And the key battleground in this blue-on-blue war is the prospect of a no-deal Brexit.

Here’s some reaction:

Hammond’s interview this morning in many ways the most compelling. A clear warning that Conservatives like him who think No Deal a disaster would have to consider bringing down a Johnson/Raab/McVey/whoever government before No Deal Brexit at end of October.

Wow. Philip Hammond not ruling out bringing down Tory PM who goes for No Deal. “This is a very difficult situation, it would not just challenge not just me, but many of our colleagues, and I hope we never get to that position.” Pushes up odds of autumn election.

Yikes. Hammond refuses to rule out joining a no confidence vote in a Tory PM carrying out a No Deal Brexit: “It’s a hypothetical question. I don’t want to be put in that situation” #Marr

Hammond warns Raab over tax cut promises: “Fiscal responsibility is a core Conservative brand and spraying spending commitments and tax-cutting commitments around is playing fast and loose with the value of that brand” #marr

Asked about Boris Johnson and Dom Raab ruling out A50 extension beyond October 31, Philip Hammond says leadership candidates ‘not to box themselves in’ with commitments ‘they might find it hard to deliver’

In his Marr interview Hammond seemed determined to derail candidates, including Raab, Johnson and McVey, who have advocated leaving the EU without a deal.

He said:

I hear a lot of my colleagues wanting to do a deal with the EU, but actually many of them only want to do a deal that is entirely on their terms. They are not really proposing to negotiate with the EU, they are simply proposing to go to Brussels once again and tell the EU once again what it is they don’t like about the withdrawal agreement.

The EU will not renegotiate the withdrawal agreement. I’m quite clear about that.

Theresa May standing down hasn’t changed anything. I would urge all of my colleagues who are standing in this contest to embrace the concept of compromise. The only way forward on Brexit is compromise. Compromise in parliament, compromise in the country.

“We have some fiscal headroom which at the moment we need to retain because of the possibility of a no-deal exit which will have very significant economic and fiscal impact on the country.

“I would strongly urge my colleagues to recognise that fiscal responsibility is a core Conservative brand and spraying spending and tax cutting commitments around is playing fast and loose with the value of that brand.”

On #Marr, the Chancellor Philip Hammond says that “compromise” is “the only way forward” on #Brexit and that “daring parliament” to accept a no deal Brexit is a “dangerous strategy” https://t.co/nM4yerCDLp pic.twitter.com/exgNSVTUlz

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