Cabinet ministers have been invited to an 11.30am emergency conference call, Coffee House understands. Not in the diary until the last hour, this has led to speculation that Theresa May could be about to delay the vote. As one Cabinet minister told me this morning: ‘I don’t expect the vote to go ahead this week.’
But is this just wishful thinking? It’s been clear for several days now that there has been an effort by ministers to get No.10 to delay the vote. Gavin Williamson has been seen as a key actor in all this – making the point that a large defeat could spell the end of the government. Other ministers agree and have also put pressure on May – in this vein, several Sunday newspapers reported that the vote could be called off imminently.
Yet, despite this, No.10 has so far been insistent that the vote will go ahead. Speaking on the radio this morning, Michael Gove reiterated this view – as did Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay on Sunday. The problem for May is that pulling the vote isn’t risk free. The government would first need to find an easy way to do that – it could involve a vote and the Tories have no majority.
No.10 have used this morning’s lobby briefing to reiterate the message that the vote will go ahead – but given the number of ministers against it, it could be a rather different scenario once the conference call is over.
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