Philip Hammond, the frankest man in the Cabinet

On Thursday, the Cabinet’s Economic and Industrial Strategy committee met. There were, as I write in The Sun this morning, controversial issues on the agenda: new rules on foreign takeovers of British companies, executive pay and workers on boards.

May made clear her views on these questions in the last speech of her leadership campaign. But in this meeting, the members of the committee didn’t simply echo May’s views back at her.

One of those present tells me that Philip Hammond made a ‘fearless’ intervention setting out his own, distinct take on these questions.

Hammond was then supported by several Cabinet colleagues. It was emphasised that in the context of Brexit, Britain could not afford to look like it was pulling up the drawbridge and becoming a more protectionist economy.

Hammond is fast developing a reputation for straight-talking in Cabinet. He is taking full advantage of the fact that May allows a more open and frank discussion in Cabinet than her predecessor did.