London (CNN)Londoners have expressed confusion and doubt over coronavirus lockdown restrictions announced Thursday that will affect millions living in the city.UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the capital would move from the Tier 1 “medium” alert to Tier 2 “high” alert level from Saturday, urging London residents to support government efforts to suppress the spread of the virus. Pubs and restaurants already had a 10 p.m. curfew under Tier 1, but the new rules mean Londoners will be banned from mixing with other households indoors in any setting. Outdoor gatherings will be limited to six people and people are advised to avoid using public transport where possible.

Schools, places of worship and businesses can remain open, leading many to question the restrictions.”I’m fed up,” Rebecca Duncan, a 39-year-old from south London, told CNN. “It’s like one thing starts to open up and life starts to seem slightly normal and then something else comes along and pushes us all back.”She called the new rules “ridiculous,” saying she could still go to the gym, get a massage or sit next to strangers in a cafe but couldn’t mix with anyone from another household. Duncan said she supported businesses staying open, but she was having to cancel a meal out with five friends next week. “The restaurant will lose out, as will the taxis and trains and other associated businesses. Not being able to socialize will have a knock-on effect far greater to business — I won’t get my hair done, buy that new top, have a manicure.”

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Liverpool, in northwest England, was the only region placed in the “very high” Tier 3 alert level when Prime Minister Boris Johnson imposed the three-tier Covid Alert system across the country on Wednesday. Tier 3 restrictions can vary but in Liverpool, pubs and bars must close unless they are operating as restaurants; gyms, betting shops and casinos must also close; weddings with more than 15 guests are not permitted, and people are advised to avoid travelling into or out of their local area where possible.

The county of Lancashire agreed to enter Tier 3 on Friday, but local leaders in the city of Manchester are locked in a standoff with the government after they rejected a move to put the area into the highest alert level. The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said in a statement on Thursday that the government’s “flawed and unfair strategy” was asking local authorities to “gamble our resident’s jobs, homes and business and large chunk of our economy on a strategy that their own experts tell them might not work. “In a BBC interview on Friday morning, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab urged Burnham “to do the right thing by the people of Manchester,” accept the support package being offered by the government and move to Tier 3.

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London despairs at new Covid rules as northern England regions rebel
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Food For London – A headteacher worried about the impact of the loss of free school meals on his students spoke out today about how an urgent call to our campaign partner, The Felix Project, has secured meals for more than 70 of their most vulnerable families.

Gary Kynaston, headteacher of Hammersmith Academy in Shepherd’s Bush, said: “I’ve worked for 30 years in city education and I recognise the immediate need for children that are coming from low income backgrounds.

“From an educational perspective, children can’t learn if they’re hungry and over 50 per cent of our families have had a free school meal over the last six years.

“The number of families arriving now for food since lockdown has more than doubled in four weeks. Within a month we’ve gone from feeding 30 families to approximately 70 families.”

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He added: “We receive food from The Felix Project and we create food packages comprising mixed bags of vegetables and non-perishables and redistribute that to our families who are self-isolating or struggling on low income.

“The Felix Project initially delivered 15 to 20 crates three times a week, before upping the supply to up to 50 crates.”

Hammersmith Academy is one of over 100 schools and charities being supplied by The Felix Project, along with giant community hubs in 14 boroughs as the food surplus distribution charity quadruples their supply to 40 tonnes a day, the equivalent of 100,000 meals, to help Londoners in need.

Our Food For London Now appeal is helping Felix tackle this surging demand and has so far raised £3 million towards a £10 million target to help Felix feed London’s vulnerable who are unable to afford or access enough food over the next three years.

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Food For London Now – See the Faces behind the campaign
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Prime Minister – These behind-the-scenes photographs capture unseen moments from another tumultuous week in British politics, as newly-elevated Conservative party leader Boris Johnson prepared his first formal remarks as Prime Minister.

Captured over 26 hours between the announcement of the Tory leadership result to Boris’s return to Number 10 after meeting the Queen on Wednesday, they provide a glimpse into the furious work which went into crafting his speech and a moment of light-hearted relief after becoming Prime Minister.

Photographer Andrew Parsons has worked closely with Boris Johnson for the past 11 years, having been introduced to the new Prime Minister by his predecessor David Cameron, for whom Mr Parsons worked as a staff photographer.

It was Parsons who captured images of Johnson firing an AK-47 in Iraq, and of the moment he inadvertently flattened a Japanese schoolboy during a game of what was supposed to be touch rugby.

But this week he had his camera trained on a more businesslike Mr Johnson, at Conservative campaign headquarters and then in Downing Street, as he worked with aides to thrash out his first message to the public having achieved his lifelong ambition.

‘I’ve recorded quite a few high-pressure moments’, Mr Parsons told The Sunday Times, and added he hopes to continue working with the Prime Minister to immortalise more iconic occasions in future.

‘I think I’m quite good at blending in’, he said. 

Source – DailyMail

Photos of Boris Johnson’s dramatic first-day in power as Prime Minister
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chocolate – As a recently divorced single mum, the past few years have been a bit of a struggle financially. Occasionally I’ve had to borrow money from my family. My car was completely written off in February, so I had to take out a bank loan for a new one. The lowest point was when I was newly separated and had to ask my mum to come to the supermarket to pay for food.

The reason money was tight was due to not being able to really draw much of a salary from my business, Cocoa Libre, a dairy-, nut- and gluten-free vegan chocolate brand that I started in 2014 after my youngest son started to develop an intolerance to dairy and would constantly have a poorly tummy.

Back then, it was really difficult to find tasty treats he could eat. At the time I was freelancing as a graphic designer and I started thinking about setting up my own confectionery business aimed at people with intolerances. I took a chocolate-making course, equipped out the back room in my old house with a bain-marie, and started experimenting. I dreamt up the brand, started networking and met a buyer from Holland & Barrett at a trade show, who later placed an order for 18,000 units of 3D chocolate penguins. I couldn’t believe it!

When my then husband and I divorced last year, I was only drawing a £9,000-a-year salary. It was tough. Last summer I was ready to quit the business and find a more secure job. When I confided in a member of staff that I didn’t think I could financially carry on with the company, she told her father, a businessman, who saw its potential and came on board as an investor. I had lots of big orders pending so it was a huge relief. Knowing that I was having financial difficulties, such as putting my council tax on my credit card, earlier this year my investor suggested extending my salary to about £35,000.

Now that I’m free to focus on the things I’m best at, such as new product development, sales and marketing, it’s taken the pressure off my home life. I can do more with my boys, who are 10 and eight, and stop worrying so much about bills and really enjoy my independence.

Last year I bought a three-bedroom house using some equity from our former home; my mum acted as the guarantor. My mortgage is £752 a month. I spend about £300 a month on groceries. Travel and car fuel comes to about £200 a month, which I can sometimes offset when it’s business-related.

I’ll take my boys out for a meal twice a month. Their music lessons and sports clubs cost me about £100 a month. At weekends and during the holidays I always try to do interesting activities with them, such as trampolining, Laser Quest, arts and crafts and the cinema.

Now that I’m taking a larger salary, I’ve just booked to go on my first trip abroad with the kids for a few years.

I probably spend about £150 a month on myself. I might head out with friends to the local pub, or occasionally I’ll go on dates or for drinks in Bristol, and that’ll involve taxis. My biggest luxury is my gym membership. I try to keep healthy because there’s diabetes in the family and it’s a great stress reliever. I love to go out on my mountain bike and cycle along the trails around Bristol or south Wales with my sons.

We have a rescue cross-breed dog and a cocker spaniel puppy. What with insurance and everything else, they probably cost about £100 a month. But they’re quite calming and get us out of the house.

I don’t have any savings or a pension. Now that my salary has increased, that’s something I’ll start to do. I don’t worry too much, as life is already stressful and I try to limit how much I worry. I just think there’s probably more value in property anyway, and that, alongside my business, is my future pension pot.

Source: TheGuardian

‘I started a chocolate brand as my son had dairy intolerance’
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Trumps – The luxurious hotel, which has its own branch of department store Harrods and a huge spa spread over four floors, featured last year in the two-part BBC1 documentary A Hotel For The Super-Rich And Famous.

Trumps children, Donald Jr, 41, Ivanka, 37, Eric, 35, and Tiffany, 25, are all expected to check in to the Corinthia.  

The President has reportedly booked out an entire floor for his brood and and their entourage. 

It’s royal-suite penthouse costs £22,000 ($27,000) a night and boasts four bedrooms, a dining room that seats ten, a full-sized bar stocked with champagne and a bathroom fitted with marble and onyx surfaces.

It’s unclear whether the Trumps will stay in that lavish suite, but it features its own private internal lift, meaning they would not have to mingle with members of the public and other guests.  

However, should the siblings wish to escape their suite, they’ll be able to make the most of the Corinthia’s opulent amenities. 

The hotel features a decadent indoor swimming pool, as well as a lavish spa and wellness center. 

One service on offer inside the wellness center is known as ‘the jet lag reviver’ – a £220 ($280) treatment that includes a scalp massage and body exfoliation, aimed to re-energize the weary traveler.  

Should the Trump clan wish to work out during their time in London, they’ll be able to employ the services of an elite personal trainer. 

A health centre at the Corinthia was designed by David Higgins – a trainer who has worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Margot Robbie and Claudia Schiffer.  

Meanwhile, the Corinthia boasts some of the finest dining experiences in London, with a number of bars and restaurants located inside the hotel.  

Crystal Moon Lounge, where guests take afternoon tea, is dominated by a huge Baccarat crystal chandelier.

Meanwhile, Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge last year took over one of the two restaurants, where the most expensive item on the wine-list is a £7,000 ($8,846) bottle of 1982 Petrus.

Celebrity guests have included Mariah Carey, James Corden and Cuba Gooding Jr. 

Will.i.am, the Black Eyed Peas star and judge on the The Voice ITV talent show, is also a regular guest, staying for up to ten weeks at a time. Rather than bringing suitcases, he has kept a collection of clothes at the hotel.

For security reasons, the Trump entourage is understood to have reserved all of the rooms across one of the hotel’s floors.

Unlike Claridge’s or The Ritz, which have been attracting the world’s super-rich for decades, the Corinthia, which has 225 rooms, 51 suites and seven penthouses, only opened eight years ago.

Source: MailOnline

The Trumps booked a £22,000-a-night five-star London Hotel
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Boris Johnson, the front-runner in the Tory leadership race, has said the party risks being “dismissed” if it does not deliver Brexit.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said voters in the EU election issued a “crushing rebuke” to the Conservatives.

Fellow candidate, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, said the party faces an “existential risk” over Brexit.

Eight candidates have declared they are standing for leader, after Theresa May said she would resign.

Mr Johnson said voters had issued the party with a “final warning” as the Tories came fourth in Hillingdon, where he is an MP, and the Brexit Party emerged with the largest number of MEPs overall.

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He said: “If we go on like this, we will be fired: dismissed from the job of running the country.”

Mr Hunt said on Twitter that the “painful result” meant there was an “existential risk to our party unless we now come together and get Brexit done”.

With some results still to declare, the overnight count has seen Conservative voters deserting the party in droves, with the party so far scoring less than 10% of the total vote – compared to nearly 25% in the last EU election.

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said it was the worst performance for the Conservatives as a party since 1832.

Education Minister Nadhim Zahawi said the results were a “wake-up call” for MPs to deliver Brexit and the Conservatives would be “in trouble” if they failed to do so.

Mr Johnson said the message from the results was clear for the Conservatives and the party risked a “permanent haemorrhage” of support.

The only way to avoid that outcome, he said, was to “come out of the EU; and that means doing it properly.”

The leadership race began when Mrs May announced she would stand down as Tory leader on 7 June, saying it was time for another prime minister to try to deliver Brexit.

So far eight candidates have said they want to run for the Tory leadership.

Environment secretary Michael Gove and former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab declared on Sunday, joining Matt Hancock, Jeremy Hunt, Boris Johnson, Esther McVey, Andrea Leadsom and Rory Stewart.

Source: BBC.co.uk

Tory leadership in trouble: Boris Johnson says party on ‘final warning’
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The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall have shared a candid picture in honour of their 14th wedding anniversary. 

Shared to the Clarence House Instagram account, and shot for Vanity Fair, the black and white photograph sees Prince Charles, 70, smiling at Camilla, 71. 

The portrait was taken by New York-based fashion photographer Alexi Lubomirski, who also took the Duke and Duchess of Sussex‘s famous engagement and wedding pictures.

The Prince of Wales is seen wearing a pinstripe blazer, crisp white shirt and a patterned tie, while Camilla wears the floral embroidered white dress she wore to Prince Louis‘ christening by British designer Fiona Clare, along with pearl earrings and a matching necklace.ADVERTISING

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The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall have shared a candid picture in honour of their 14th wedding anniversary, taken by New York-based fashion photographer Alexi Lubomirski

‘Thank you for your warm wishes on the occasion of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall’s wedding anniversary’, the accompanying caption reads.

The picture was reposted by Alexi Lubomirski, who wrote: ‘Happy anniversary to HRH Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall!! Photo by me for @vanityfair’.

The photo echoes the black and white engagement photo taken of Harry and Meghan in 2017, which sees them facing the camera side-on as they smile at each other. 

This week Charles addressed his anniversary, remembering the day he married Camilla on the 5th April 2005 at Windsor Castle.

During a visit to reopen Hillsborough Castle in Belfast, he said: ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m enormously grateful to you all for coming such a long way to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It’s incredibly good of you.’

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The photo echoes the black and white engagement photo taken of Harry and Meghan in 2017, which sees them facing the camera side-on as they smile at each other

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UK born fashion photographer Alexi Lubomirski attended the wedding ceremony with his wife Giada last May before taking Harry and Meghan’s official portraits 

New York based fashion photographer Alexi Lubomirski, who is famed for his portraits of leading ladies, added the requisite touches of both Hollywood glamour and royalty to Harry and Meghan’s official wedding photos.

The father-of-two, who was born in the UK, was a protégé of Mario Testino who was beloved by Harry’s mother Princess Diana and photographed William and Kate when they got engaged in 2010.

The star photographer is also a prince of the Polish House of Lubomirski, whose royal lineage stretches back 500 years on his father’s side and gives him the title: ‘His Serene Highness’.

He attended the royal wedding last May with his wife Giada before stepping behind the scenes with Harry and Meghan to capture their official portraits. 

Read more at:

Charles and Camilla share a touching portrait to mark their 14th wedding anniversary taken by Harry and Meghan’s wedding photographer
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Theresa May has finished making her pitch for a short Brexit delay to hostile EU leaders at a crunch EU summit that could decide when the UK leaves.

The Prime Minister spent a little more than an hour in a question and answer session at the emergency meeting in Brussels tonight before being kicked out while they decide the UK’s fate over a lavish dinner.

The other 27 leaders of EU nations are deciding whether to give her what she wants – an extension to Article 50 to no later than June 30 – or, as seems more likely, impose a humiliating longer delay to leaving the trade bloc.

She addressed the European Council session in the Belgian capital after Emmanuel Macron had warned her that he was  ‘impatient’ and that a long Brexit delay was not guaranteed.ADVERTISING

The French president appeared to wink today as he arrived in the EU’s core – after being urged not to ‘humiliate’ the Prime Minister. 

He was set to demand the UK is subjected to a number of punitive conditions with a Christmas deadline to finally quit the trade bloc, but also raised the spectre of a no-deal Brexit, possibly on Friday.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the start of the emergency meeting of national leaders he warned that ‘nothing is settled’, including a long delay, and he was ‘impatient’ to hear what Mrs May had to say.

‘We must understand today why this request, what is the political project which justifies it and what are the clear proposals?’ he said. 

‘It is 34 months since the British referendum, and the key for us is that we are able to pursue the European project in a coherent way.

‘I believe deeply that we are carrying out a European rebirth, and I don’t want the subject of Brexit to get in the way of that.’   

Mrs May’s performance was shorter than the one she gave at the previous Brexit summit in March, where she spoke for more than 90 minutes before EU leaders dismissed her request – which was the same as the one she made tonight.

An EU official later told Reuters that the ‘sense is May is open to a longer extension as long as it can be terminated early’ and her address had been ‘more solid than usual, though not many specifics’ in it.

She used her own arrival in Brussels this afternoon to lash MPs for refusing to pass the Brexit deal, complaining ‘we should have left by now’, but dodged questions about her own future.

EU leaders are almost certain to reject her bid and force a delay lasting between December 31 this year and March 31, 2020, which could prompt her to resign.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel – whose mother Herlind Kasner passed away aged 90 just days ago –  wants a gentler, but longer extension, into 2020 – reflecting splits among the EU27 that are set to delay a ruling long into tonight. 

Arriving at the EU’s headquarters the PM refused to say if she would quit if Britain is forced to swallow a longer delay – but insisted her aim is still to leave the EU on May 22 if she can win over Jeremy Corbyn.

She said: ‘What is important is that any extension enables us to leave at the point at which we ratify our Withdrawal Agreement. I know many people will be frustrated that the summit is taking place at all. The UK should have left by now’. 

President Macron is also calling for regular ‘behaviour reviews’ of the UK, a bonfire of its EU powers and posts and a ‘Boris-proof’ lock preventing a new Tory leader causing havoc within the EU if she stands down, despite warnings from Donald Tusk and Angela Merkel not to poison relations with Britain.   Video playing bottom right…Click here to expand to full page

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Mrs May shared a joke with  German chancellor Angela Merkel tonight, ahead of the PM’s pitch to EU leaders in which she is asking for a delay to Brexit until June 30 at the latest

Read more at:

May awaits her fate at EU summit after ‘impatient’ French president threatens UK with No Deal Brexit AGAIN and insists ‘nothing is guaranteed’ in new outburst while leaders ponder year-long delay
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A day at the Bahrain Grand Prix proved another chance to strengthen the famous family bonds for The Duchess of York who took to Instagram to share a selfie at the races tagging her ex-husband, daughter Beatrice and her new beau.   

Sarah Ferguson, 59, joined ex-husband Prince Andrew, daughter Beatrice, 30, and beau Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, an Italian property tycoon, for another day in a week full of ‘#familytimes’.

The unlikely mother, daughter and boyfriend trio were spotted just three nights earlier partying at a well known Fergie favourite – Annabel’s, a club in Mayfair, London. 

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Sarah Ferguson, 59, is famously close with her daughters and son-in-law – and it appears she already enjoys a similarly strong bond with Beatrice’s boyfriend

Beatrice’s new beau Edoardo seems to have earned the approval of Fergie with the  Duchess of York tagging the property tycoon in a post captioned ‘#familytime’.

Fergie captioned the image: ‘Such a joy to be invited to attend the Bahrain Grand Prix with and Beatrice. Excited to meet @frankiedettori_ #familytimes @f1 #luckyme’.    

Rumours Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were dating first emerged late last year and they have since spent time together in New York and Kenya.   

Dashing divorcé Edo, who is father to a two-year-old son, is thought to have been an acquaintance of Beatrice for years, but the pair have seen their friendship evolve into a romance. 

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Sarah Ferguson, 59, daughter Beatrice and champion jockey Frankie Dettori

Edoardo is the stepson of ex-Prime Minister David Cameron’s late friend Christopher Shale.

The couple went public when they attended the annual gala for the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture in New York in December.

Mozzi founded real estate firm in 2007, and serves as its CEO to this day. The company specializes in finding and developing homes for wealthy clients.

Princess Beatrice, who lives in New York and works full time as a consultant that introduces start-ups to potential financial backers, has been spotted with her boyfriend several times recently, suggesting that potentially their relationship is becoming more serious.

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Actress Catherine Zeta Jones (left), Mansour Ojjeh, co-owner of McLaren, (centre) and Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York (right) during the Bahrain GP at Bahrain International Circuit today

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Frankie Dettori, champion Jockey with Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, on the grid at Bahrain Grand Prix

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The royals were not the only Brits there to congratulate Lewis Hamilton on his win: David Beckham was the centre of attention pre-race as he strolled stylishly through the grid

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 Winner: The footballer was even lucky enough to wave the iconic chequered victory flag for British winner Lewis

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Great Britain’s Lewis Hamilton won the Bahrain Grand Prix for Mercedes on Sunday after starting the race third on the grid

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Hamilton pointed to Mercedes fans as he toasted a shock victory but admitted after that Mercedes benefited from good luck

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Hamilton got a soaking from the champagne on the podium but will be celebrating an unexpected race win as he eyes a title

Late last year engagement rumours for the couple started to circulate after a friend of Beatrice’s A friend the Sun: ‘They’ve been on holiday together and Beatrice introduced him to Fergie and her dad. Things are moving very quickly and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they got engaged within a short period of time.

‘They could even be tying the knot in 2019 — it’s already been discussed by her friends. Everyone is thrilled that Bea is so happy and in such a good place right now.’ 

He is Beatrice’s first boyfriend since she split from Uber executive Dave Clark in 2016 after 10 years together.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment on reports of the new romance.

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Princess Beatrice and boyfriend Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi left together in a black cab

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Beatrice’s millionaire boyfriend, known to friends as ‘Edo’, looked typically dapper in an open collar shirt and blazer

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It might Bea serious! Prince Andrew takes his family – including ex-wife Fergie and Beatrice’s new property developer boyfriend – for a weekend break to the Middle East
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Theresa May is rolling the dice on another vote on her divorce deal tomorrow after finding a way around John Bercow’s ‘sabotage’ of the plan.

The Prime Minister will use what was supposed to be Brexit Day to hold a vote on just the legally binding divorce deal and not the political declaration, meaning the Speaker could not rule it out.

Mr Bercow insisted the rules of the House had been ‘upheld and asserted’ as he gave permission for the PM to hold her vote after hours of behind the scenes wrangling. Three meetings were held between the Speaker and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox during the tussle over the motion.

Mrs May hopes the symbolism of March 29 will be enough to persuade Tory Brexiteer rebels and the DUP to finally back down and endorse the deal. The DUP confirmed tonight they would vote No tomorrow. ADVERTISING

After losing by 149 in the second meaningful vote on March 12, Mrs May needs 75 extra votes. If the DUP vote No as expected, she needs every Tory rebel to return or win over Labour MPs instead.  More than 50 Tories are still declared against – suggesting defeat up of up to 100 votes. 

If the Government wins it would mean Britain is on track to leave the EU on May 22 – but it would not count as a proper vote to ratify the deal as it excludes the political declaration. This means it is not ‘meaningful vote’ three.

Mrs May will aim to renegotiate the political declaration if MPs back the divorce deal part of the package tomorrow and hope to ratify the whole deal in a later vote. 

The PM offered to stand down and sacrifice her job in return for the backing of Tory rebel MPs including Boris Johnson last night, but it still looks unlikely that she has the numbers to win a vote after the DUP refused to fall in line and support her. 

More chaos looms if the vote does not succeed tomorrow –  Britain’s departure from the EU will be rescheduled to April 12, MPs will then try to take control of the process and likely try to force May to adopt a softer Brexit. Ministers have threatened to call a general election if that happens. 

David Lidington and Geoffrey Cox paved the way for tomorrow’s vote, which will take place at 2:30pm, in a meeting with the Speaker this morning. 

MPs have been ordered to attend Parliament tomorrow, cancelling what was supposed to be a day in their constituencies. 

Speculation has been rife all week that Mrs May would try to bring back her deal for a third ‘meaningful vote’ that would approve the deal if she had any hope of winning. Her hopes still appear bleak.  

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Theresa May is rolling the dice on another vote on her divorce deal tomorrow after finding a way around John Bercow’s (pictured today in the Commons today) ‘sabotage’ of the plan. 

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The Prime Minister will use what was supposed to be Brexit Day to hold a vote on just the legally binding divorce deal and not the political declaration – meaning the Speaker could not rule it out

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Attorney General Geoffrey Cox (left today) and David Lidington (right today) confronted John Bercow this morning to establish whether he would allow a new vote on the Brexit deal

The DUP’s continued refusal to back the deal makes it appear an impossible mission – but passing the divorce deal this week is the only way to leave the EU by May 22.

Javid and Gove consider ‘stop Boris’ joint bid for Tory leadership after May

Sajid Javid is floating the idea of a ‘dream ticket’ with Michael Gove as Chancellor that could see him become Prime Minister and would also shut Boris Johnson out of Downing Street, MailOnline can reveal today.

The pair are mulling whether Jeremy Hunt could be offered Home Secretary to drop his candidacy as part of the pact, while fellow Brexiteers Penny Mordaunt and Andrea Leadsom could also be handed promotions to fall into line, allies of Mr Javid have suggested.

The ‘Stop Boris’ plot came as Mr Johnson – who is joint-favourite with Mr Gove to be the next Tory leader – backed Mrs May’s Brexit deal only to pronounce it ‘dead’ hours later.

The Prime Minister yesterday offered to sacrifice her leadership to win rebel Tories’ backing for her deal, saying she will quit on May 22 if her deal passes this week.

If the deal does not pass by tomorrow, May could stay and Brexit will thrown into chaos with rebel MPs trying to force a softer exit from the EU and ministers threatening to call an election.

But Boris is now reportedly insisting Mrs May steps down even if her deal fails. MailOnline can reveal there are genuine fears that unless Mr Johnson’s rivals agree a deal ahead of a leadership campaign their support could splinter, opening the door for the former Foreign Secretary to take over. 

As many as eight Cabinet ministers are expected to put their names forward and several are already out on manoeuvres today with former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab positioning himself as the No Deal candidate.

Speaking today he said Mrs May should return to Brussels and demand they reopen negotiations so Britain can achieve a ‘legally-binding exit from the Irish backstop’.

He added: ‘I think we should have sensible conversations over the two weeks we’ve got left around the suite of No Deal arrangements that can be made to mitigate any of the potential damage on either side’.   

Speaker Bercow threw a further spanner in the plans by insisting any new vote must be on a ‘substantially’ different question to the last one. 

But this afternoon Commons Speaker John Bercow said the motion the Government intends to put before MPs on Friday ‘complies with the test’ because it is ‘new and substantially different’. 

After swerving that ruling, Mrs Leadsom said tonight: ‘As I set out to the House today, the European Union will only agree an extension until 22 May if the Withdrawal Agreement is approved this week.

‘Tomorrow’s motion gives Parliament the opportunity to secure that extension.

‘I encourage all MPs to support it and ensure that we leave the EU on the 22nd May, giving people and businesses the certainty they need.’ 

Read more at:

Theresa May WILL hold a vote on her deal on ‘Brexit Day’ TOMORROW after Bercow caves in following confrontation with PM’s deputy and Attorney General – but does she have any chance of winning?
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