Boris Johnson told to share official country pad with David Davis and Liam Fox
Chevening house has never been shared by three cabinet members before
CIVIL servants are fearing fireworks after the Three Brexiteer Cabinet ministers were ordered to share one official country residence.
Downing Street announced Tory big beasts Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox will all use Chevening, a 17th Century pile in Kent.
The trio should find enough space to avoid each other in the 115-room residence
The manor house in Chevening, Kent, has been used by foreign secretaries since the 1980s as a country retreat and a venue to host international visitors.
But Theresa May has told BoJo that he will have to make room for Brexit Secretary Mr Davis and International Trade Secretary Dr Fox as and when they have foreign dignitaries to entertain.
While there is no known animosity between the trio, they are not understood to be close pals. Mr Johnson and Mr Fox were rivals in the recent Tory leadership contest.
Westminster was awash with jokes today about how the three way home share will work between the trio, who are all famed for having big egos.
One minister told The Sun: “This is going to be fun”.
Social media users also leaped on the announcement to brand it “the best sitcom ever” and heaped praise on Mrs May for her mischievous sense of humour.
But No10 aides insisted the move was necessary as all three will need to entertain world leaders as they broker Britain’s EU walkout.
Quizzed on how it will be decided who stays there and when, the PM’s official spokeswoman said: “I am sure they will be able to work together on that”.
Asked why Mrs May had decided the Foreign Secretary should share his country retreat with two colleagues, the PM's official spokeswoman said: "It reflects the fact that all those secretaries of state will as part of their work be meeting and engaging with and hosting foreign visitors and leaders and it will provide an opportunity to do that."
The move raises questions over whether the role of Foreign Secretary has been diminished under Mrs May.
Mr Davis, a former leadership contender, has already suggested he could pull rank on Mr Johnson and Mr Fox as chief Brexit negotiator.
An official government list of the new cabinet could go some way to explaining the new hierarchy in her top team when it is published later today.
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During the coalition, Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister, had joint use of it with the foreign secretary, first William Hague
It is split into three grand wings – potentially one for each – and the estate has 3,000 acres, including a maze and 530 acres of woodland.
Boris has also been given a London mansion near St James’s Park, No1 Carlton Gardens, as his official London residence.
During the Coalition Government, Chevening was shared between Deputy PM Nick Clegg and then Foreign Office boss William Hague.
It was also confirmed that Mrs May will take the flat over No11 Downing Street, the bigger of the two in the building where the Camerons lived.
Chancellor Philip Hammond will occupy the smaller flat over No10.
Mr Hammond will have use of Dorneywood in Buckinghamshire, which has been a country retreat for ministers since the 1940s.
It has usually been occupied by Chancellors, but has also been used by other senior members of the government, including deputy prime minister John Prescott, who was famously photographed playing croquet on its lawn.
Mr Johnson will also have use of 1 Carlton Gardens, near to Buckingham Palace, as his London residence.
It also emerged today that Mr Johnson has decided to drop his £275k-a-year Daily Telegraph column.
A spokesman for Johnson said: “Whilst Mr Johnson has enjoyed a close working relationship with The Daily Telegraph for over 20 years, it would not be appropriate for him to continue writing his long-standing column for the newspaper given his new role as foreign secretary.
"It is expected that he will continue to write occasional comment pieces for a range of publications in his role as foreign secretary."
He has also put a book he was due to write about Shakespeare on ice.
