Tory 'Gaukward squad' hardens stance against no-deal Brexit
Hammond hints he could vote against next Tory PM and warns of £90bn hit to finances
The next prime minister will have to reckon with a reinvigorated “Gaukward squad”, including David Gauke and Philip Hammond, who are determined to block a no-deal Brexit if they are dispatched to the backbenches, senior Tories warn.
The Conservative leadership race has been dominated by Brexit, with Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt both insisting they would be willing to contemplate leaving without a deal if they could not secure concessions from Brussels over the summer.
Hammond, who has made a series of increasingly forthright interventions in recent days, dropped a heavy hint on Tuesday that he would be prepared to vote against a no-deal Brexit, even if it meant breaking the party whip. The chancellor has not ruled out serving in a Johnson government, but the frontrunner is widely expected to sack him, as is his rival Hunt.
Hammond answered Treasury questions from MPs in the House of Commons in what may have been his final outing at the dispatch box on Tuesday and pointed to forecasts suggesting no deal would blow a £90bn hole in public finances over the next 15 years.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/02/hammond-hints-vote-against-new-tory-johnson-hunt-government-halt-no-deal-brexit
I guess when Farage and his other lackey's were making a complete ass of themselves , they did not get this memo.................