A few weeks ago, at the end of July I posted an item about 55 Tufton Street in Westminster (HERE), the home of a number of linked and slightly sinister "think tanks" which were solidly behind Brexit but whose funding was opaque to say the least. BrexitShambles (HERE) has done some serious research into the people and backers of the groups operating out of the address. I urge you to read it.
This is particularly relevant at the moment because this coming weekend will see the beginning of a campaign to set out an alternative to May's Chequers plan. The group behind it is the ERG, the European Research Group, of which Rees-Mogg is the leader so you can see in which direction it's likely to take us, and it isn't the EEA believe me. It's more like towards Singapore.
But the plan they are announcing is said to have been prepared with the help of the gang at 55 Tufton Street so it's important to look inside the nexus that is driving this agenda.
The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg reports on developments HERE. She says:
"I hear from Sunday onwards we should expect several days of carefully planned announcements, almost like a government grid perhaps, where the Brexiteers, with their eyes ruthlessly on their short term prize of "chucking Chequers", will lay out an alternative.
"A roll out of written papers will begin over the weekend, with a big event expected in Westminster on Monday which, if it comes off, would just by chance coincide with Boris Johnson's next newspaper column.
"Plans, which are in this very febrile environment subject to a whole lot of change, are right now for a push on Sunday to make the argument for a free trade agreement, rather than Chequers".
Brace yourself. But at least everyone will now be able to see what their plan is and dismantle it.
