Steerpike

Following the resignation of David Davis, Brexiteers and Remainers alike have been left wondering how Brexit is going, and more importantly, who is really in charge of the negotiations with the EU. Today they got their chance to find out, as new Brexit secretary Dominic Raab and Number 10’s widely-loathed Brexit guru Olly Robbins were grilled by the Exiting the European Union select committee. Only things soon took a turn for the dramatic when mid session the government published a statement from the Prime Minister announcing that she will now ‘lead the negotiations with the European Union’ and Dominic Raab's department will be stripped of its role in the negotiations with that duty being entirely shifted to the Cabinet Office's Europe unit.

The Maybot is back. The Prime Minister has just been doing a Q and A with workers in Newcastle when she was asked how she likes to unwind. Here's what she had to say: 'There are several things I like to do. I like walking...I enjoy cooking, which has a benefit because you get to eat it as well as make it. I have over 150 cookbooks, so I spend quite a lot of time looking at cookbooks. And...I quite like watching NCIS when I can.' Time for a reboot?

This week the government narrowly avoided defeat on two government-backed amendments tabled by the European Research Group. In the end, the government squeaked through by just three votes. So, it didn't go down particularly well with the pro-EU crew that neither the former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron or his successor, Vince Cable, bothered to turn up to vote. And the reason for the Lib Dem leader's absence? It turns out Sir Vince was busy discussing the creation of a new anti-Brexit centre-ground party at a secret dinner, as The Sunday Times reports. Instead of trying to start a new 'stop Brexit' party, Cable could have got closer to stopping Brexit by just doing his day job. Who knew?

Theresa May's Brexit plan is going down badly and the EU is telling members states to step up preparations for 'no deal'. You'd be forgiven for thinking that Brexit isn't going entirely to plan. But this mess didn't stop the Prime Minister's Brexit guru Olly Robbins getting a bonus last year. Robbins was rewarded with a payment of between £15,000 and £20,000, according to figures released by the Department for Exiting the EU. As if that wasn't enough, Robbins also earned a salary of at least £80,000 before his transfer from the Brexit department to No.10. Whatever happens with Brexit, Robbins, at least, has plenty to smile about...

Boris Johnson's resignation speech wasn't the Geoffrey Howe moment some had built it up to be. But the former Foreign Secretary's critique of Theresa May's Brexit policy certainly gave Tory MPs food for thought. Johnson made clear he thought the policy amounted to Brexit in name only – and pushed for a change of course. Given that the Prime Minister shows no sign of backing down and is adamant hers is the right way, this presents the Brexiteers with a problem. Despite their insistence they would rather May stay in office, will this position be tenable in two months time if nothing has changed? And who could they turn to should they need someone to step up and challenge May? Perhaps a clue can be found in Jacob Rees-Mogg's endorsement of Johnson's speech.

Last week, the left-wing blogger Ash Sarkar told Piers Morgan she was 'literally a communist' after the pair got into a heated debate over her decision to protest Donald Trump's visit to the UK when she hadn't done the same for Barack Obama. Since then, the clip has gone viral and Sarkar – who works for Novara Media – has been rebranded as a liberal champion – with Teen Vogue even chipping in. Now Novara Media is keen to cash in. The blog has released a new t-shirt to its online shop emblazoned 'I'm literally a communist'. Only rather than, say, practise communism and dispensing them 'from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs' – the site appears to have opted to follow free market principles on this occasion.

Andrea Jenkyns is regarded by many Tory MPs as a Brexit champion – after the Conservative MP for Morley pre-emptively quit last month as a PPS to fight for Brexit. Since then Jenkyns has become one of the loudest voices calling for a new tack from No 10 in the negotiations. However, Mr S can't help but wonder whether Jenkyn's latest intervention didn't land quite as she had intended. In an interview with the Telegraph, the Tory MP attempts to criticise the Prime Minister for not being a true Brexiteer – not because she's a Remainer but because her passion is... 'what's workable' 'It is time for her to go. I don't think she has passion for either Remain or Brexit, I think she has a passion for what's workable.

In Trumpland, the truth is what you say it is. Donald Trump says he was at his golf course at Turnberry, in Scotland, the day before the Brexit vote, and that he predicted then that Brexit would happen. He told the Sun newspaper yesterday. Clearly, nobody has told him otherwise, because the President doubled down on the claim at his press conference with Theresa May this afternoon. He said: 'I was opening Turnberry the day before Brexit and all they wanted to talk about was Brexit and I said I think Brexit would happen and it did happen.'  Never mind that Donald Trump in fact cut the ribbon at Turnberry on June 24, the day after the Brexit vote. Steerpike was there. You can watch it here. You can check it anywhere.

Theresa May's Chequers' Brexit blueprint hasn't got off to the best start this week. Before the white paper has even been published, she has seen her Brexit Secretary and Foreign Secretary quit – along with a growing backbench rebellion. Now President Trump has offered his verdict – and it's not what you could call a diplomatic help: 'I am going to a pretty hot spot right now with a lot of resignations. I would say Brexit is Brexit. The people voted to break it up so I would imagine that's what they would do, but maybe they're taking a different route - I don't know if that is what they voted for.' On May's plan, Trump says it seems as though the UK is 'getting at least partially involved back with the European Union'.