Thread by @jillongovt

Two blockbuster new interviews in the @ukandeu #Brexitwitnessarchive. First up, the first of the resigning #brexit negotiators @DavidDavisMP. He had A LOT to say so do recommend a full read.

we asked about the source of his euroscepticism. Not his early employment at Tate and Lyle as some assume. He reminded he was Whip on the Maastricht bill. Described himself as a "civilised eurosceptic" (not a "bastard" TM John Major

DD was very critical of the Cameron pledge to take the Conservatives out of the EPP (the root of many of his difficulties with Angela Merkel as others have pointed out)

and he disagrees with Cameron (and others) who said the referendum was inevitable

V interesting to think what might have happened if Davis had won that election contest as he looked nailed on to do before they "screwed up" .

Moving on, Davis is very critical of Cameron's naive approach to renegotiation. Quite a telling insight here given what came later

fascinating snippet of a chat he had with @George_Osborne during the referendum campaign (NB he was surprised at Gove and Johnson coming out for Leave, not at May on being remain - "security obsessed" as Home Sec)

and Davis's personal focus group on where the referendum was going

and do check out our interview with @Fox_Claire

Davis on Cummings.. not much love lost there tbh

Did I say there was a lot on this..... there really is.. and on referendum night, David Dimbleby asked him not to call the result too soon

so onto government....fair to say he did not expect a call from No.10 (another great Cabinet shuffle story)

Davis assumed the task of negotiating Brexit would fall to @fcdo -- and definitely not the @cabinetofficeuk -- but he was also VERY sceptical about @UKCivilService and #brexit

Amid that scepticism a shout out to one civil servant (quite an unusual one) Tom Shinner in his old dept

Philip Hammond told us he was taken aback by @theresa_may conference speech. Even her Brexit secretary was - and thought it betrayed a misunderstanding of Leave voters

On the reasons for that disastrous 2017 election which he and Hammond supported.. to see off the House of Lords and gain time

early signs of tension with Olly Robbins given an impossible job as DExEU perm sec and PM sherpa... and the latter trumping the former role

On trying to recover from being overruled on sequencing in the early stages of the negotiations - trying to link the financial settlement to the future relationship

On that joint report....

and - although it doesnt actually ever feel like this in No.10 - Davis's view on who always wins in battles between depts and the PM (this after he had asked for Robbins to be moved in frustration)

Davis was much more gung-ho on No Deal than No.10 or the civil service

Lots more on the joint report... negotiations with DUP; views from ERG etc.. read it in full -- and so to Chequers ....

Davis dismisses the two white papers thesis, but notes a divergence between him and No.10 over - divergence

And by the Thursday before Chequers, David realises he is going to have to go

Lots more on who said what at Chequers .. do read Hammond described Davis as liking an SAS style negotiation.. He certainly war gamed the timing of his resignation

So more after that on the Johnson resignation, and views on what came next - read the whole interview here ukandeu.ac.uk/brexit-witness…