Leave architect Dominic Cummings says Theresa May’s Florence speech will “fail” to break impasse if she relies on David Davis ‘ “delusions”
One of the chief architects of the Leave campaign has claimed Theresa May’s crucial Brexit speech tomorrow will “fail” if it based on “[David Davis’] delusions”.
Dominic Cummings, who tweets as Odyssean Project, said the Prime Minister’s speech should not reflect the Brexit secretary’s “‘over the head of Barnier/Ive cleverly divided them’ philosophy,” he argued.
“[David Cameron/George Osborne] foolishly relied on [German chancellor Angela] Merkel saving them. May’s team will be similarly kiboshed if they delude themselves like this.”
Cummings was responding to an article in The Times this morning that said May planned to use the speech as an opportunity to cut Brussels negotiatior Michel Barnier out of the process and speak directly to the leaders of the EU27.
The location of the speech is now believed to be the Santa Maria Novella church in Florence.
May is currently briefing the cabinet on the contents of the speech, after a gruelling week in which foreign secretary Boris Johnson has dominated the headlines over reports he could resign over whatever offers it contains. May’s former chief of staff Nick Timothy this morning claimed both Johnson and chancellor Philip Hammond were paving the way for a bad Brexit deal with their behaviour.
Cummings also blasted Whitehall as “crazy” for not preparing for a “new timetable” that would see a transitional Brexit period last until 2021.
Cummings, who tweets as Odyssean Project, posted another multi-tweet rant this morning in which he accused the government of having “mega-botched A50 so transition now reqd”.
“It’s crazy for Whitehall STILL not to be preparing for end of transition in 2021,” he added.
“The fundamental botch re A50 makes transition practically inev/unavoidable if EU will wear it. But crucial point is still being missed… SW1 horrorshow means we shd be acting now BUT ARENT to use the 2 yr transition or else we’ll be back at another cliffedge in 2021.”
Cummings added: “Tory MPs: you’ve cocked it but now focus on REAL preparations for NEW timetable. Accept transition BUT reboot machine aimed at 2021.”
This is not the first time Cummings has criticised the government’s approach to triggering Article 50. Earlier in the week, he tweeted that Brexit secretary David Davis’ quickfire approach was “like “putting a gun in mouth & kaboom”.
2/ I said triggering A50 quickly w/o plan & legal preps for NoDeal wd be like putting a gun in mouth & kaboom. DD chose to do exactly that— odysseanproject (@odysseanproject) September 18, 2017