Bitter divisions between Philip Hammond and Tory Brexiteers are down to “temperament”, a Leave-supporting aide to the Chancellor has said.
Kwasi Kwarteng insisted his boss is “clear-eyed” and has a “very realistic view” of the Brexit negotiations after attacks on Mr Hammond were ramped up when he refused to spend cash preparing for Britain to quit the European Union without a deal.
The Tory MP also dismissed claims that the Chancellor is at odds with Theresa May after the Prime Minister struck a different tone on Britain’s readiness to walk away from talks with Brussels.
Mr Kwarteng, a parliamentary private secretary to Mr Hammond, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “He had a very clear statement, he’s got a complete mastery of his brief, he knows the detail inside out, he’s very clear-eyed about the possibilities and also some of, not the dangers, but the challenges we face.
“Now I think what he said was that we would have all necessary funding in the case of no deal and the Prime Minister herself has said that where money needs to be spent it will be spent. So, I don’t see much of a contradiction actually.”
Mr Kwarteng conceded there were “slight differences of opinion” between Remain-supporting Mr Hammond and those who backed Brexit.
“I think the Chancellor’s position has always been clear,” he said. “There’s no question that there are slight differences of opinion but what he’s trying to do is get the best deal for Britain.”
Pressed on the criticism discussed among his Leave-supporting friends, Mr Kwarteng said “there are a lot of passions on this”.
Asked if he ever told the Chancellor to cheer up, he replied: “A lot of it is an issue of temperament. He is someone who is very clear-eyed, he has a very clear view intellectually of where we are.
“He is not going to exaggerate possibilities or diminish some of the challenges. Temperamentally he has got a very realistic view of where we are and he’s got the intellectual honesty to describe what he sees and I think that’s the best we can expect.”
Mr Kwarteng appeared on the programme after International Trade Secretary Liam Fox dropped out. Presenter Nick Robinson said the Cabinet minister’s office pulled the interview at 8pm on Wednesday evening, saying he had another diary engagement.
The tensions come as the fifth round of Brexit negotiations draws to an end amid growing frustration at the apparent failure of the talks in Brussels to break the deadlock.
Brexit Secretary David Davis and the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier are expected to hold their customary end of talks press conference amid little sign of concrete progress.
On Tuesday, European Council president Donald Tusk became the latest senior figure to warn the negotiations had not advanced sufficiently to move onto the second phase – including a new free trade deal.
Mr Barnier is due to brief the leaders of the other 27 EU member states on the state of the negotiations when they meet next week for a summit in the Belgian capital.
So far, however, he has been adamant there has not been enough progress on the so-called “divorce” arrangements for him to be able to recommend they move on to phase two.
The EU side has been adamant that they need greater clarity on the issues of future citizens’ rights and the border with Ireland as well as the thorny issue of the financial settlement.