Michael Gove wages bet on Brexit with fellow Tory for a bottle of wine

Top Tory Michael Gove has made a bet over Brexit with fellow Cabinet minister Matt Hancock.

The government’s head of no-deal planning revealed he had “put money” on the outcome with the Health Secretary, who has had to make plans for medicine shortages if there’s a no-deal Brexit .

Sources later said the wager is for a bottle of wine – and is about the size of the Commons majority for a Brexit deal, not whether it happens.

Mr Gove made the startling revelation after boasting “we will get this deal done” by October 31 despite MPs forcing Boris Johnson to ask for a delay.

Asked if he’d put money on it, he replied: “Yes, I have”.

Asked how much, he replied: “Well that’s between me and the Health Secretary.”

The Cabinet ministers risk being accused of trivialising the issue.

Mr Hancock has been forced to implement multi-million pound contingency plans to ensure the “unhindered supply” of medicine.

And Mr Gove is presiding over a programme of no-deal planning worth more than £8bn of taxpayer cash to minimise disruption.

It comes after MPs forced Boris Johnson last night to send a letter to the EU asking for a three-month delay to Brexit.

In a political stunt that could be fought in court the PM refused to sign the letter, and sent another at the same time branding a delay “corrosive”.

Despite the setback the Prime Minister is planning to push on and attempt to pass his Brexit deal by October 31 anyway.

Michael Gove vowed to leave on October 31 – despite Boris Johnson having to ask for a delay.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told Sky News: “We are going to leave by October 31. We have the means and the ability to do so.”

Mr Gove, who will chair a meeting of the ‘XO’ no-deal planning committee later today, refused to comment on whether Boris Johnson has been privately telling EU leaders he does not want an extension.

He said the Government has triggered the next stage of Operation Yellowhammer no-deal plans because the delay request had increased the chances of leaving without a pact.

He added: “If we vote to leave, if we get the legislation through, then there is no extension – October 31 is within sight.”

Meanwhile there was a boost for the PM as Amber Rudd – who quit the Cabinet and Tories to block no-deal – said she would back his deal.

She told the BBC’s Andrew Marr: “I want to support it and I will.

“And I think, not all of us, but most of us [21] former Conservatives, who supported the Letwin amendment will do so as well.”

Boris Johnson finally agreed a Brexit deal with the EU on 17 October 2019, though it still needs approval by MPs.

The 64-page list of amendments keeps a transition period up to 31 December 2020 and the £39bn divorce bill. But it scraps the Irish backstop, an insurance policy designed at preventing a hard border between Northern Ireland the Republic.

In the backstop’s place would effectively be ‘two borders’ in a hybrid system:

1. Northern Ireland and Britain would share a legal customs territory – technically forcing customs checks on goods crossing the 310-mile border with the Republic. But in practice, to avoid checks at the border, the checks will instead happen when goods reach Northern Ireland on the island of Ireland. Critics say this puts a customs border across the Irish Sea – more of this below.

 

2. Northern Ireland and the Republic would share some EU single market rules – forcing checks on manufactured and agricultural products crossing the Irish Sea.

The Northern Ireland Assembly – known as Stormont – will get a vote every four years on whether to let EU law continue. But this vote could be passed by a simple majority – denying the DUP a veto on staying under EU laws long-term.

Meanwhile commitments on workers’ rights are deprioritised – moved to the non-legally-binding Political Declaration for agreement later.

For a full explainer click here.