There's loads of fascinating stuff in Philip Hammond's Brexit interview with @UKandEU, particularly on Theresa May.

But it is worth kicking off by flagging what the ex-CX said about David Davis.

His assessment of DD's negotiating tactics is nothing short of spectacular. Philip Hammond's assessment of Theresa May's plan for Brexit when she became PM in July 2016 is particularly frank.

Basically she didn't have one. Like the TV show Lost, there was a starting point... but apparently nothing else.

Safe to say Number 10 is absolutely fuming about the Court of Appeal decision on the deportation flight.

Judicial review played a key part in stopping deportation of some foreign national offenders and now sounds highly likely the govt will fast track a proposed review of JR. Tory manifesto pledge on JR: 'We will ensure judicial review is available to protect the rights of the individuals against an overbearing state, while ensuring that it is not abused to conduct politics by another means or to create needless delays.'

Theresa May is likely to face huge pressure next week to tack to a customs union-based Brexit.

If she does, Tory MPs believe she will “break” the Conservative Party.

“It would be worse than the corn laws, don’t kid yourself,” one senior MP said.
telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/… Backbench Tories are split on how the PM could/should respond if a majority of MPs back a customs union at indicative votes on Monday.

Some think she could just dismiss the vote (sure to go down well).

One MP: “She could just ignore it. She is the Government.”

New: Dominic Raab says David Lidington's status as a Remainer means he will not be able to deliver a "palatable" Brexit deal because the EU will feel like they are negotiating with one of their own.

It is a *very* polite intervention in The House magazine but utterly brutal. Theresa May said on Tuesday that Lidington, Geoffrey Cox & Stephen Barclay would help her renegotiate her Brexit deal.

But Raab said Lidington leading would be a "problem" because "there’ll be a perception, perhaps unfairly, that this is a guy who wanted us to stay in the EU".

The key thing about the Dominic Grieve amendment is that it would guarantee MPs time - six days in total - to debate and vote on Brexit options.
The last proposed day for debate is March 26, just three days before Brexit day.
This is potentially very important. Dominic Grieve just explained everything on Sky News.
MPs will be able to table amendments on each of the six days "which can be turned into resolutions of the House".
I.e. If a majority of MPs back any one Brexit option then Govt would have to listen or face the consequences.

🚨Short thread on the Grieve amendment and what could happen next in the Brexit process🚨 Under the terms of the Grieve amendment the Govt will have to table a motion setting out its Brexit plan B within 3 days.

There is some suggestion the Govt could table something non-committal/wishy-washy. But that would be at odds with the intention of the amendment.

Breaking: The Govt is today pushing the button on every single one of its no-deal Brexit plans and implementing them all *in full*.

There are 320 workstreams across Whitehall on no-deal with each workstream likely containing numerous plans.

Seismic decision. The Govt will be sending 80,000 emails to key business stakeholders in the coming days to tell them what no-deal means for them. They will be pointed to a 100 page document with all the info.

BREAK: Downing Street will not publish full Brexit legal advice, will only give MPs "full, reasoned position statement" ahead of vote.
Sets up a massive showdown with the House of Commons which passed a binding motion which called for "any legal advice in full" to be handed over. Downing Street said it would honour a commitment made by David Lidington to give MPs a "full, reasoned position statement".
Crucially that is not what the motion which was passed demanded.
Looks like MPs will be given a summary of legal advice, not the actual legal advice.

The Government is in a right state over what its approach to immigration will be in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
But one thing does appear clear: EU freedom of movement will continue beyond March 2019 if the UK ends up with a disorderly divorce. The scale of the mess is quite hard to comprehend. In simple terms: The key players within the UK Government do not appear to be singing from the same hymn sheet.
In fact, it doesn't look like there is a hymn sheet at all.

Jewish Leadership Council and Board of Deputies both wrote to the Labour Party today about anti-Semitism.
The @JLC_uk demanded an apology for "hurt" caused by Jeremy Corbyn.
The @BoardofDeputies accused him of repeating a “classic racist trope”.
But something else from today: When Labour reopened discussions on the anti-Semitism code in July it pledged to consult Jewish groups on the way forward.
But apparently there has been no formal consultation between the party and the JLC or the Board of Deputies.

***SHENANIGANS KLAXON**: Govt is trying to bundle together concessions made in the Lords on a variety of issues in EU Withdrawal Bill with a bid to water down the meaningful vote. Would mean one vote on everything. Makes it harder for MPs to vote against.

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But but but: Dominic Grieve was alive to the danger and has put down his own amendment which would break up the Govt's bundle and separate the concessions from the meaningful vote stuff.