James Forsyth James Forsyth

Where the Brexit inner Cabinet is heading

There have been two meetings of the Brexit inner Cabinet this week. But as I say in The Sun this week, the government is still making its way towards a detailed, negotiating position. Indeed, in one of the meetings this week, Theresa May emphasised that the ministers didn’t need to come to a decision that day.

That may have led to a more constructive conversation. But as Jeremy Heywood delicately pointed out, taking these decisions won’t get easier with time. With the crunch EU council meeting next month, the UK doesn’t have much more time either. The longer the UK waits, the harder it will be to build diplomatic support for its preferred solutions.

The Brexit inner Cabinet remains divided on the best way ahead. Philip Hammond and Boris Johnson are the heavy artillery of the two camps. Neither of them seems inclined to compromise, with Hammond pushing for harmonisation and Boris for divergence from EU rules.

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