The Cabinet’s Brexit talk

So, where are we at on Brexit? Well, we know that Theresa May wants immigration control as part of the deal which essentially rules out a Swiss or Norwegian style deal. But, as I report in The Sun, beyond that little is settled. As one Cabinet Minister said to me after the away day at Chequers this week, ‘The truth is that, at the moment, we’re still in the preparatory stage’.

Cabinet Ministers were struck by how open the discussion was at Chequers. Unlike in the Cameron era, there was no early indication as to what the Prime Minister wanted the meeting to conclude.

According to those present, one of the most forceful speakers was the Chancellor Philip Hammond. He emphasised that growth would be lower next year. This, I’m told, grated with Boris Johnson who emphasised the need to be confident. To which Hammond replied, that the government needed to be both confident and realistic.