For months Brexiters have warned the Treasury and civil service are not preparing properly for the possibility of no deal. Despite May and Davis starting to make more encouraging noises on no deal preparations, Philip Hammond writes in the Times that he won’t spend any money now to prepare for that outcome. In March Number 10 sources told Guido the likelihood of no deal was 50-50, those same odds were offered by a Cabinet minister to the Sun this week. Why would the Chancellor rule out budgeting for something which the government says could easily happen? That is just irresponsible. 

If Hammond won’t fund plans for no deal it simply doesn’t look like a credible option. It’s not hard to see that this clearly weakens our negotiating position with the EU. Also curious for Hammond to come out and say this given it is a direct provocation to Leave Cabinet ministers who asked for the money this week. Arguably a greater undermining of the PM’s position than anything in Boris’ article…