The current Chancellor of the Exchequer and Remain MP Philip Hammond has told the BBC this morning that he will resign as chancellor if Boris Johnson does, as expected become Britain’s next Prime Minister.
Mr Hammond has cited Boris Johnson’s failure to rule no deal out as the reason for his decision. Mr Hammond said he will quit after Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday before Mrs May steps down. Some have suggested that this was inevitable and that it was likely that Philip Hammond would have been sacked by Boris Johnson when he selected his cabinet.
Philip Hammond suggested that a no-deal was “not something I could ever sign up to” and that it was important the next Prime minister and the chancellor were “closely aligned” on how to proceed with Brexit. However, Mr Hammond did add that things “might be more complicated” should a shock occur, and Jeremy Hunt was to win the Tory leadership contest, although this does seem very unlikely.
Mr Hammond joins the list of Rory Stewart and previous ERG member and Justice secretary David Gauke in resigning from Government or announcing that they would not serve under Boris Johnson. added that Jeremy Hunt’s position regarding a no-deal Brexit was “more nuanced”, and he had not demanded a “loyalty pledge” on the exit date from prospective ministers.
Philip Hammond has been a prominent critic and peddler of pessimism about Brexit whilst being in the treasury. Many prominent Brexiteers such as Jacob Rees-Mogg have stated that getting a Brexiteer into number 11 could be key in Britain’s economic planning for a potential no-deal Brexit as well as forecasting a more positive outlook for a post-Brexit Britain.
Boris Johnson’s likely cabinet appears unlikely to contain any prominent remain figures with Amber Rudd seemingly coming behind Boris Johnson in a shift of stance which was praised heavily by Jacob Rees-Mogg on LBC on Sunday morning. However, with Philip Hammond failing to rule out voting down the government in a no-confidence vote as well as reports that as many as 6 Europhile MP’s are considering defecting to the Liberal Democrats which would see the current administration become a minority government, it could be argued that no British PM has ever come into office on a stickier wicket.
Current Affairs Correspondent | My name is Oliver Down I am 22, and a staunch brexiteer. I am a Bristolian lad who studied politics in Leicester. I believe in free speech and accurate journalism and I won’t be afraid to give you “the other side” of the story!
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