Former Brexit Ministers speak out!

DAVID DAVIS: Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union - 2016–2018: 

'The majority of Whitehall was not enthusiastically pro-LEAVE... We were regularly overruled by Downing Street... and the result is, we have ended up with what I would describe as a Remainers' Brexit.'

STEVE BAKER: Minister in the Department for Exiting the European Union - 2016-2018:

"The constant refrain throughout my time in government was this atmosphere of reluctance to leave. They cannot face up to enthusiastically delivering the mandate that they have. And that has meant that our entire negotiation has been fearful, conducted in a posture of supplication. The entire approach is approach is suffused by a reluctance to deliver what the public wanted, which is us controlling our laws in our parliament with all that that means. 

So the relationship between Number 10 and the DEXU ministers was always one of instinctive tension because I think the DEXU ministers believed overwhelmingly in exiting the European Union. Whereas, overwhelmingly, the staff of Number 10 seemed not to be people with a heart for it. And I think that that tension suffused the entire process. We were regularly overruled.

For example, after President Donald Tusk made his offer of security co-operation, participation in institutions of research, innovation, education and culture... he also made an advanced free trade agreement, all sectors, no tariffs... Once he’d made that offer I was very pleased because it matched the policy which DEXU ministers had decided. And I wanted to start putting it in my speeches. And one speech in particular, I remember, was edited by Number 10 to remove references to that offer because, of course, IT WAS NOT THE OFFER THAT THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE WANTED.”