Thread by @faisalislam

now on @BBCRadio4 WATO
My exclusive interview with Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd on today’s solid jobs/ earnings numbers, and unemployment going up too... and No Deal too

Amber Rudd tells me that the jobs numbers are strong, record employment with growing wages for 17 months... acknowledges a “very small increase” in unemployment, which she says is down to “more people looking for work”

NEW: I quote back to SoS, her own view that shutting down Parliament would be ridiculous:
Rudd: “I remain a great admirer of PArliament & of parliamentary sovereignty and I will continue to argue for the executive, the Govt I am part of to work with Parliament not against it”

NEW: Can you back a situation where an election is held on purpose so that parliament does not have a say on No Deal?

Rudd: “I will play my part in Cabinet and privately with the PM and with ministers on arguing strongly for respecting parliamentary sovereignty.... 1/2

“...I’m a member of parliament - the PM and all Cabinet members are members of Parliament - we need to remember where our authority comes from,” the Work and Pensions Secretary told me on a visit to the Thames Tideway project

And on whether the Cabinet is “gung ho” for No Deal... Amber Rudd tells me Cabinet thinks it is “far inferior”:

“I don’t think people are gung ho - certainly not the people I sit with in Cabinet... we know that No Deal is a far inferior prospect than a deal...”

FULL STORY:
“Work with Parliament not against them... the PM, all Cabinet ministers are MPs, we need to remember where our authority comes from,” Amber Rudd tells BBC re idea of using election to bypass Commons for “far inferior” No Deal

bbc.co.uk/news/business-…

Former Chancellor Hammond now up with @bbcnickrobinson - says that No Deal “as much as a betrayal” as no Brexit - demanding an end to backstop is purposefully setting bar too high, he says.

“Any idea of trying to bypass Parliament” would provoke a Parliamentary crisis - “there is no mandate for no deal” - “during the referendum campaign there was virtually no mention of no deal”... says Hammond.

Hammond scotches talk of a national unity Government ... suggests will be difficult to get a deal by 31st October, and No Deal not backed by Commons, if Parliament can’t solve this there needs to be a “democratic event” - either an election or referendum, Commons will decide.

Worth relooking at this from Work & Pensions Sec yesterday - similar warning on not bypassing Parliament, though she says she backs making preps for No Deal by October
bbc.com/news/business-…