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Michael Gove should replace Theresa May as prime minister, major Conservative donor says

'She can't make a decision. So there is no leadership'

Samuel Osborne
Sunday 03 June 2018 14:41 BST
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Michael Gove, the environment secretary, has the skills to be prime minister, Crispin Odey says
Michael Gove, the environment secretary, has the skills to be prime minister, Crispin Odey says (PA)

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Michael Gove should replace Theresa May as prime minister because she cannot deliver Brexit, a donor to the Conservative Party has said.

Crispin Odey, a hedge fund manager who backed the Leave campaign, said Ms May, who voted Remain, couldn't be trusted to "carry Brexit through".

Instead, he said Mr Gove, the environment minister, had the skills to be prime minister.

Michael Gove says there are 'significant question marks' over timescale and deliverability of customs arrangement

​Mr Odey told the newspaper: "What is true is that you have a whole lot of people who didn't want this to happen who are in charge of it happening... I would go to Gove.

"He’s the only minister who is still being a minister. Michael has got lots of attributes that make him a non-traditional Tory. He is very aware that he has to appeal not just to the wealthy, but also more broadly."

He said Ms May, whose cabinet remains divided on key issues about Britain's future relationship with the bloc, wasn't suited to politics: “As someone said about May, she should have joined the civil service, rather than becoming a politician.

"She is perfect for that, but she can’t make a decision. So there is no leadership."

Mr Odey was a prominent supporter of Britain's withdrawal from the EU, signing a letter alongside hedge fund manager Paul Marshall backing the main Brexit campaign group.

He told The Observer that Britain should start striking trade deals before it leaves the European Union, in breach of the bloc's rules.

"We've got to have that self-confidence to make breaches. There's no point in voting for freedom if you don't know what to do when you're free," he said.

Downing Street has declined to comment on the report.

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