FAILED Tory leadership candidate Michael Gove has denied he is responsible for a smear campaign against Philip Hammond.
The Environment Secretary has been blamed by friends of the Chancellor for a series of damaging leaks placed in papers this weekend.
One newspaper claimed Hammond had said technology was so advanced that “even” a woman could drive a train now.
Another suggested Hammond had told Cabinet colleagues public-sector workers were “overpaid.”
A Daily Telegraph front page yesterday had an unnamed minister accusing the Chancellor of trying to “f*** up” Brexit.
The squabbling between those who support a hard Brexit and those who favour a soft Brexit has forced Theresa May to publicly remind her Cabinet that the meetings they have should be private and their focus should be on the day job, not on trying to undermine each other.
May’s official spokesman told reporters at a regular Westminster media briefing: “Of course, Cabinet must be able to hold discussions of government policy in private and the Prime Minister will be reminding her colleagues of that at the Cabinet meeting tomorrow.”
The PM’s spokesman made clear she intends to assert her authority: “She will be reminding them of their responsibilities and making the point that ministers across government need to be focused on getting on with delivering for the British public,” he said.
“I’m not going to get into speculation of who said what where and when. I’m simply saying that Cabinet must be able to hold its discussions on government policy in private, and the PM will remind her colleagues of that at tomorrow’s meeting.”
Former deputy prime minister Lord Heseltine called the infighting “very distressing” and suggested May had very little authority to assert.
The Tory peer said he believed the leaks came from “a leading Brexiteer”.
Asked if the Prime Minister should sack those responsible, he replied: “She would if she could.”
“She can’t sack leading Brexiteers because she has no authority, so you have an enfeebled government,” he claimed.
Heseltine added: “I think it’s very distressing. I think that the chances are there will be a General Election in two years and I don’t see any sign of the Conservative Party focusing on how it wins that election.”
Reports yesterday suggested Brexit Secretary David Davis could even use the stramash to oust the Prime Minister and take her place.
On Sunday the Chancellor used a TV appearance to accuse Cabinet rivals of trying to undermine his agenda for a “softer” Brexit.
One unnamed Cabinet minister was reported to have hit back, claiming Hammond was part of an attempt by “the Establishment” to stop Brexit.
The Daily Telegraph quoted the minister as saying: “What’s really going on is that the Establishment, the Treasury, is trying to f*** it up. They want to frustrate Brexit.”
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said the talks of splits were “somewhat overplayed.”
He told the BBC’s Today programme: “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 the Brexit negotiations and to make sure we continue the economic progress we’ve made.”
The SNP’s Stephen Gethins said the “distracted and divided” government would affect the Brexit negotiations.
“It is staggering that on the day the Brexit Secretary begins the second round of negotiations with the EU, the increasingly distracted and divided Downing Street is briefing on internal Tory squabbles and leaks, rather than the key issues which have been clouded in uncertainty for over a year. Theresa May must get a grip and she must do so quickly.
“Our EU neighbours have approached negotiations with a clear position, whilst the UK Government has stumbled into the room unprepared and with confrontational rhetoric rather than constructive policy. The UK Government’s Brexit negotiating position has as many holes in it as the Tory government”.
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