Brexit-backing ministers can’t resist a smile as they come face to face with PM in ‘serious’ first Cabinet meeting since he quit

THEIR faces said it all as David Cameron’s Cabinet came together for the first time since his crushing defeat in the EU referendum.

While the six members who campaigned on the Leave side arrived looking very pleased with themselves, MPs like Home Secretary Theresa May and Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb left looking ashen.

Employment Minister Priti Patel looked happy on her way in to this morning’s Cabinet meeting following her side’s victory in the EU referendum

Mr Cameron held the tense first meeting of his Cabinet since the landmark EU referendum result as his top team tries to re-unite and end a bitter four month-long civil war over the huge decision.

During the long 90 minute session in No10, loyal Cabinet ministers banged the table as tributes were heaped on Mr Cameron.

But Downing Street aides dubbed the mood at the meeting in general as “serious”.

Much of the discussions about the meeting were about the EU referendum.

The Prime Minister has condemned incidents of race hate that have happened since the referendum result, including people shouting at EU citizens in the street telling them they are going to be deported.

Six members of his Cabinet, including Justice Secretary Michael Gove, Employment Minister Priti Patel and Culture Secretary John Whittingdale, had spent the past three months on the campaign trail convincing people to vote Leave.

The success of the Leave campaign led to a crushing defeat for the Prime Minister and led to him standing down last Friday morning.

Philip Hammond looks downtrodden on the way out of the first Cabinet meeting since Remain lost the EU referendum

David Cameron has set up a special government Brexit Unit as angry calls grow for a plan to pull Britain of the EU to be laid out as soon as possible.

The elite group of civil servants will devise options for the next PM when he takes power in October.

But No10 insisted no decisions can be taken on the UK’s negotiation positions or what breakaway arrangement the country will make with Europe until then, meaning four more months of uncertainty.

As the financial markets continue to tumble, demands from business bosses are spiralling for the government to spell out a clear Brexit timetable to end crippling uncertainty.

The British Chamber of Commerce has called on ministers not to “duck important choices”.

And former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling insisted “we simply can’t afford” to wait until a new PM is elected in October for a Brexit plan.

Lord Darling added: “If you leave a vacuum in politics, that’s when the trouble starts”.

MPs have begged the Premier for more details of the planning when he makes his first statement to MPs after announcing he will step down last Friday morning.

The Brexit Unit will be made up of senior officials from the Treasury, the Foreign Office and other key Whitehall departments.

Mr Cameron has also appointed his chief fixer, Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin, to carry out a “facilitative” role taking views from within and outside Government on what the next steps should be, said Downing Street.

Talk in the Tory party is now about who will replace Cameron as the leader with Boris Johnson being the firm favourite.

Brexiteer Michael Gove has agreed to act as co-campaign manager and is leading a bid to persuade leadership rivals to drop out before the contest proper even begins, boasting that Boris has significant support on the Conservative green benches already.

Crowning one candidate without opposition instead of a bitter and drawn out fight is vital for “party unity”, his MPs are arguing.

But allies of Theresa May said she would definitely run to replace David Cameron as Prime Minister too.

She was pictured looking happy as went to this morning’s Cabinet meeting.

Chancellor George Osborne, who campaigned alongside David Cameron to try and convince people to vote Remain, is trying to keep his job.

This morning he spoke out for the first time since Thursday’s referendum, saying “Britain is open for business” but warned “it won’t be plain sailing”.

He has rejected calls for him to resign, saying he has an important job to do.

And he tried to reassure the British people: “I want to reassure the people the country is ready to confront what the future holds from a position of strength.”

While he admitted public finances will suffer in the wake of the decision to leave the EU, he reassured people “the fundamentals of the British economy are strong, so the British economy is prepared for whatever happens”.