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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| The Tory Three Brexiteers brandish boasts and the best gags | The Tory Three Brexiteers brandish boasts and the best gags |
| (4 months later) | |
| Johnson, Fox and Davis were rhetorical rather than rebellious, but business leaders fear that even their bluster carries risks | |
| Dan Roberts Brexit policy editor | |
| Tue 3 Oct 2017 18.49 BST | |
| Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 16.00 GMT | |
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| Britain faces the Brexit equivalent of an All Blacks rugby haka, nervous Tories were told on Tuesday: “tongue-wagging, bulging eyeballs and chest-thumping” from their European Union opponents, but nothing that a stiff upper lip won’t see off. | Britain faces the Brexit equivalent of an All Blacks rugby haka, nervous Tories were told on Tuesday: “tongue-wagging, bulging eyeballs and chest-thumping” from their European Union opponents, but nothing that a stiff upper lip won’t see off. |
| Never fear, was the rallying cry of the three Brexiteers who took turns on the conference stage in Manchester to reassure delegates that everything was still tickety-boo – despite what they might read in the business press. | Never fear, was the rallying cry of the three Brexiteers who took turns on the conference stage in Manchester to reassure delegates that everything was still tickety-boo – despite what they might read in the business press. |
| “It is time to stop treating the referendum result as if it was a plague of boils,” said Boris Johnson, with a side-swipe toward pessimists at the Economist and Financial Times. “Without pain and doubt and anxiety, there can be no pleasure, no triumph and no success.” | “It is time to stop treating the referendum result as if it was a plague of boils,” said Boris Johnson, with a side-swipe toward pessimists at the Economist and Financial Times. “Without pain and doubt and anxiety, there can be no pleasure, no triumph and no success.” |
| The riposte by the international trade secretary, Liam Fox, to the doubters was to list all the economic activity still happening despite Brexit – a counter-attack only somewhat undermined by the latest financial headlines flashing news of a collapse in construction figures. | The riposte by the international trade secretary, Liam Fox, to the doubters was to list all the economic activity still happening despite Brexit – a counter-attack only somewhat undermined by the latest financial headlines flashing news of a collapse in construction figures. |
| After weeks of Tory infighting, this was an unexpectedly coordinated response to recent setbacks in Brussels. Each of the three leading leave campaigners in the cabinet paid lip service to the authority of the prime minister, yet had their own way of calling for the country to gird its loins. | After weeks of Tory infighting, this was an unexpectedly coordinated response to recent setbacks in Brussels. Each of the three leading leave campaigners in the cabinet paid lip service to the authority of the prime minister, yet had their own way of calling for the country to gird its loins. |
| “There is a determined exercise in Whitehall devoted to every contingency,” revealed the Brexit secretary, David Davis. “Prizes for success are enormous, as are the costs of failure.” We are a country of Shakespeare, Austen, and James Dyson, he boasted, as if sonnets and vacuum cleaners were a back-up plan. | “There is a determined exercise in Whitehall devoted to every contingency,” revealed the Brexit secretary, David Davis. “Prizes for success are enormous, as are the costs of failure.” We are a country of Shakespeare, Austen, and James Dyson, he boasted, as if sonnets and vacuum cleaners were a back-up plan. |
| “It’s Waterloo, it’s Agincourt, it’s Crécy … we win all these things,” added Jacob Rees-Mogg, d’Artagnan of the Tory fringe. | “It’s Waterloo, it’s Agincourt, it’s Crécy … we win all these things,” added Jacob Rees-Mogg, d’Artagnan of the Tory fringe. |
| A neutral spectator might wonder if it were the Brits performing a haka, but there was posturing on both sides on Tuesday. | A neutral spectator might wonder if it were the Brits performing a haka, but there was posturing on both sides on Tuesday. |
| “The future of the union is much more important than Brexit,” warned the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, earlier, in an equally fiery debate at the European parliament. “The integrity of the internal market and the four freedoms … they are not negotiable.” | “The future of the union is much more important than Brexit,” warned the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, earlier, in an equally fiery debate at the European parliament. “The integrity of the internal market and the four freedoms … they are not negotiable.” |
| Despite the bluster in Manchester there has been little to suggest that the British government ultimately disagrees, or will heed Johnson’s call to “let that lion roar”. | Despite the bluster in Manchester there has been little to suggest that the British government ultimately disagrees, or will heed Johnson’s call to “let that lion roar”. |
| Theresa May’s recent proposal for a two-year transition period after Brexit is predicated on the acknowledgement that continued full access to the single market can only come right now with the acceptance of all the existing rules and regulations. | Theresa May’s recent proposal for a two-year transition period after Brexit is predicated on the acknowledgement that continued full access to the single market can only come right now with the acceptance of all the existing rules and regulations. |
| In her home secretary’s conference speech there was no mention this year of using Brexit to slam the doors on unwanted immigration. Even the agriculture secretary, Michael Gove, expects extensive use of migrant labour schemes to stop British fruit rotting on the tree next harvest. | In her home secretary’s conference speech there was no mention this year of using Brexit to slam the doors on unwanted immigration. Even the agriculture secretary, Michael Gove, expects extensive use of migrant labour schemes to stop British fruit rotting on the tree next harvest. |
| Instead, as the chancellor, Philip Hammond, put it, this week has mainly been about rhetorical flourishes. | Instead, as the chancellor, Philip Hammond, put it, this week has mainly been about rhetorical flourishes. |
| Gove entertained the faithful by telling them that escaping EU rules on animal tagging would allow farmers to sell pigs’ ears to China. “Who am I to tell you that you shouldn’t have chlorinated chicken if you want it?” said Rees-Mogg. | Gove entertained the faithful by telling them that escaping EU rules on animal tagging would allow farmers to sell pigs’ ears to China. “Who am I to tell you that you shouldn’t have chlorinated chicken if you want it?” said Rees-Mogg. |
| Their speeches have been carefully calibrated: maintaining party discipline on the matters of substance; rallying the cavaliers with better gags than cabinet roundheads such as Hammond. | Their speeches have been carefully calibrated: maintaining party discipline on the matters of substance; rallying the cavaliers with better gags than cabinet roundheads such as Hammond. |
| But the fear among those business leaders anxiously lobbying in the wings of conference this week is that the bragging and posturing will make May’s inevitable climbdowns that much harder and the risk of talks collapsing that much higher. | But the fear among those business leaders anxiously lobbying in the wings of conference this week is that the bragging and posturing will make May’s inevitable climbdowns that much harder and the risk of talks collapsing that much higher. |
| Fox told the conference that his trade department was now providing political risk insurance for British exporters looking to explore dangerous new markets abroad. More than a few will be wondering if this is on offer to domestic companies too. | Fox told the conference that his trade department was now providing political risk insurance for British exporters looking to explore dangerous new markets abroad. More than a few will be wondering if this is on offer to domestic companies too. |
| Conservative conference 2017 | |
| Conservatives | |
| Boris Johnson | |
| David Davis | |
| Liam Fox | |
| Conservative conference | |
| analysis | |
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