Last week, George Eustice became the latest minister (the majority of whom have been Brexiteers) to quit the government, resigning in protest at Theresa May’s plan to give MPs a vote on delaying Brexit.
In his first interview since leaving the government, Eustice, who held the post of farming minister, went even further, stating that farming bosses were ‘wrong’ to fear a no deal Brexit – a dramatic statement which puts him at odds with Environment Secretary and chief Brexiteer Michael Gove.
Eustice isn’t the only former minister to flirt with no deal: both David Davis and Boris Johnson have suggested that no deal remains a better option than the government’s current plan and its much-discussed backstop.
But while they may claim that opinion is hardening behind them, the fact remains that the no dealers face considerable opposition. Many senior ministers continue to believe that ‘crashing out’ of Europe would be disastrous for the UK – and they have shown their ability to extract concessions from Number 10.
One of the more cerebral opponents of no deal has been Dominic Grieve.
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