The Cabinet convenes this morning at 10am with, at least, six of those present set to back Out. The most intriguing of these Outers is Michael Gove.
Gove is exceptionally close to Cameron and Osborne both politically and personally. He is one of the intellectual driving forces behind the Tory modernising project. But he is unable to back staying in the EU on these terms.
Cameron claimed in his press conference last night that Gove had been an Outer for 30 years. I’m not sure that’s right. Friends say it was the experience of being a minister and finding out how much of government was just following what Brussels wanted to happen that tipped him over the edge.
Gove won’t be the face of the Out campaign. But he will give it intellectual credibility and persuade both MPs and donors that they can support it without becoming part of the Nigel Farage show. Crucially,
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