The new Brexit Secretary is leave voting Health Minister and former whip Stephen Barclay. The diminished role of DExEU Secretary has been acknowledged by Number 10, with the role now not having scope over negotiations, just the domestic preparations for leaving the EU.

A former Barclays bank director, Barclay has mentioned Brexit just ten times in Parliament, seven of those being in the same debate. In 2015, he was named by ConservativeHome as one of the most loyal Conservative backbench MPs, not to have voted against the government in any significant rebellions.

Both Michael Gove and Geoffrey Cox were offered the job but neither wanted it. Guido suspects that’s because the Brexit Secretary has no control over Brexit…