Theresa May tells feuding ministers to 'stop playing games' and get on with the job

Theresa May is 'unimpressed' with her feuding Cabinet ministers
Theresa May is 'unimpressed' with her feuding Cabinet ministers Credit: Neil Hall/PA

Theresa May has vowed to push ahead with plans to formally trigger Brexit at the beginning of next year as she has ordered her senior eurosceptic ministers to "stop playing games" and get on with their jobs.

The Sunday Telegraph disclosed that Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, had written a terse letter to Boris Johnson in which he effectively demanded that the Foreign Office be broken up.

Dr Fox suggested that British trade with other countries would not "flourish" if responsibility for future policy remained with the Foreign Office.

Liam Fox has effectively called for the break up of Boris Johnson's Foreign Office
Liam Fox has effectively called for the break up of Boris Johnson's Foreign Office

Mrs May, who is currently on a walking on holiday in Switzerland, was "unimpressed" with Dr Fox's behaviour and wants her ministers to "stop wasting time" and instead focus on delivering Brexit.

"She does not stand for any of that nonsense," the source said. "She is not happy. They have got plenty to get on with"

The source also denied claims that she could delay triggering Article 50 and beginning the formal process of leaving the European Union.

Reports at the weekend suggested that the Government is planning to delay invoking Article 50 until 2017, meaning Brexit would not take place until the end of 2019.

A source insisted that she will push "full steam ahead" and invoke Article 50 at the beginning of next year. "She is not taking her foot off the pedal," the source said.

Theresa May is currently on a walking holiday in Switzerland
Theresa May is currently on a walking holiday in Switzerland Credit: Marco Bertorello/PA Wire

The row between Dr Fox and Mr Johnson represents the first signs of significant tensions between Mrs May's eurosceptic Cabinet ministers.

In the letter, which was sent to Mr Johnson at the end of last month, Dr Fox said that under a "rational restructuring" the Foreign Office's economic diplomacy team should be transferred to his department. The team helps champion trade and growth.

He said: "I strongly believe this will be the only chance we get to materially change the approach we take to trade and investment and, as such, would urge you to consider this proposition favourably.

"If we fail to take this opportunity to restructure now I feel we will have a suboptimal structure for the future."

Mr Johnson rejected the request and has instead agreed to "second a small number of staff with relevant expertise" to Dr Fox's department.

A Whitehall source said that the letter “went down like a lead balloon”. “There was no way that the Foreign Office was going to surrender one of its key functions to Liam Fox,” one source said.

Whitehall insiders were anticipating tension between the three men - who are also being asked to share use of Chevening, the country home of the Foreign Secretary - but are surprised that the behind-the-scenes row has erupted so quickly.

It came as senior figures in the City of London claimed that ministers had privately warned them that Britain could remain in the EU until late 2019. 

Mrs May has publicly suggested that she will enact Article 50 in January, setting in train the formal two years of Brexit negotiations. 

However The Sunday Times claimed that ministers believe she may be forced to delay invoking Article 50 until the end of 2017, after French and German elections. Sources close to Mrs May have strongly rejected the claims. "She wants to get on with it," a source said. "She has made it very clear."

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