Massive leak alleges deep-state Brexit conspiracy
Those implicated by the publication downplayed it as ‘legitimate lobbying’ and dismissed it as Russian ‘disinformation’ at the same time
An elaborate high-profile conspiracy allegedly run by shadowy figures within the British elite was exposed in a massive leak released by a group of hackers late in May. The cache of documents and emails alleging a deep-state plot by hardcore Leavers to deliver the ‘hardest’ Brexit possible is now available on the website ‘Very English Coop d’Etat’.
Plotting for a hard Brexit
The conspiracy involved the most hardcore Leavers: Former head of MI6 Richard Dearlove, former NATO and Defence Ministry adviser Gwythian Prins, leading Brexit campaigner and ex-Labour MP Baroness Stuart, professor emeritus of French history at the University of Cambridge Robert Toombs, and others.
The goals of the campaign, dubbed ‘Operation Surprise’, were outlined in a 2018 document penned by Prins, who proclaimed the need to “take the fight to our opponents, who are remorseless, by all necessary means.” The plotters sought to deliver the ‘hardest’ Brexit possible, targeting both those seeking to continue the UK’s membership in the EU, and proponents of ‘soft’ Brexit alike.
The group sought to “block any deal arising from the disastrous and craven Chequers White Paper,” then-PM Theresa May’s Brexit plan, and “ensure that we leave on clean WTO terms.” They also wanted, “if necessary, to remove this Prime Minister and replace with one fit for purpose,” and “cleanse the polluted civil service from top to bottom” by planting trusted people in key positions.
The scheme was apparently bankrolled by Tim and Mary Clode, a shadowy aristocratic couple based in the British tax haven of Jersey, the leaked emails suggest. The plotters considered the couple perfect for their role, noting that they were “quite good at consciously discreet conversations” and “studiously avoided all interaction with social media.”
With the downfall of the May government, the group both actively tried to elevate Boris Johnson into the post of prime minister, as well as trying to influence his way of thinking. In an email sent by Dearlove in June 2019, when the leadership campaign was in full swing, the ex-spymaster said he had been preoccupied with “feeding briefings on national security to Boris,” praising Johnson as a “very quick and able” and “excellent classical scholar” who was the perfect man for the job.
We need a leader who has the charisma and ability to see off [Jeremy] Corbyn and accommodate the [Nigel] Farage threat. There is no alternative when you look at the issue from this angle.
The group’s trust in Johnson, however, has apparently waned over time, with the most recent emails suggesting the shadowy cabal is now seeking to replace him with someone else. In an email sent early in January, Prins bemoaned the PM’s lack of “stamina to get Brexit done.”
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