May to reprimand her ministers for leaking and briefing against each other

The Prime Minister's spokesperson said the PM would use a meeting on Tuesday to remind her deputies that they should be "having all discussions of government policy in private". The intervention comes amid increasing signs of infighting amongst top Tories – with Chancellor Philip Hammond the target of several negative briefings in recent days. Hammond was accused by anonymous ministers in three national newspapers on consecutive days of various claimed misdeeds.

"Cabinet must be having all discussions of government policy in private and the Prime Minister will be reminding her colleagues of that in cabinet tomorrow," Ms May's official spokesperson told a briefing of journalists in Westminster.

But asked whether he could confirm that the negative briefings were originating from Ms May's Cabinet, the spokesperson said: "I'm not going to get into speculation of who said what where and when."

The Chancellor was said by an anonymous minister in The Sun to have made a sexist remark during a Cabinet meeting; was said by an anonymous minister in the Sunday Times to have said public sector workers were overpaid; and was said by an anonymous minister in the Daily Telegraph to be trying to stop Brexit.

Taken together, the stories appear to be evidence of a concerted campaign of negative briefing against Mr Hammond, who is widely regarded as the most senior Remain supporter in the Cabinet and has has sometimes been treated with suspicion by Leave-supporting colleagues. AGENCIES