A list that is almost certainly already dated
On Wednesday, after a marathon five-hour long meeting, Prime Minister Theresa May announced cabinet had reached consensus and would support her draft Brexit agreement.
Come Thursday morning and Dominic Raab, the Brexit secretary literally responsible for negotiating the agreement, resigned because he could not support the agreement.
The Conservative front bench is in the process of being obliterated, as a wave of its politicians make the decision to put career over country.
It is likely many more will follow, and perhaps even trigger a leadership contest against the Prime Minister, but here’s a list of the drop outs so far.
Sam Gyimah
Universities minister Sam Gyimah waited a good while for the dust to settle on a spell of departures before twisting the knife in the Prime Minister’s back. Five resigned in the space of 24 hours, but he waited a good fortnight.
Maybe he needed it to draft the 1,000-word long Facebook status announcing his departure.
He is the seventh government minister to resign since Theresa May’s draft Brexit agreement was announced.
Faux respect: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Patriotism: 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Righteous indignation: ⭐️⭐️Leadership bid rating: You know what… actually, no
Are they a big deal: A rising star, but no one hears a supernova explode at 10pm on a Friday night https://t.co/1s4ZHdpztC— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) November 30, 2018
Rehman Chishti
Conservative party junior vice chairman Rehman Chishti resigned his post this afternoon, continuing an avalanche of departures in Theresa May’s top team.
He said his reasons for resigning were both the draft agreement for leaving the EU as well as the UK’s handling of Asia Bibi’s asylum case – Chishti is also the PM’s trade envoy to Pakistan.
Faux respect: ⭐️
Patriotism: 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Righteous indignation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Leadership bid rating: Nah
Are they a big deal: Also nah https://t.co/JjgamgKnE3— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) November 15, 2018
Suella Braverman
Suella Braverman, née Fernandes, who once famously said: “£50 billion? Don’t believe it, Project Fear,” of a potential divorce payment to the EU. Turned out she couldn’t have been more accurate in predicting the amount the UK would pay to the EU.
She said it was with “deep regret” that she resigned.
Faux respect: ⭐️⭐️
Patriotism: 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Righteous indignation: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Leadership bid rating: Ha.
Are they a big deal: Will be obscured by Penny Mordaunt when she goes https://t.co/zAU6Q5vcFm— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) November 15, 2018
Esther McVey
Esther McVey was secretary of state at the department of work and pensions.
The former cabinet minister wrote in her letter:
“The proposals put before Cabinet, which will soon be judged by the entire country, means handing over £39bn to the EU without anything with return. It will trap us in a customs union, despite you specifically promising the British people we would not be. It will bind the hands of not only this, but future governments in pursuing genuine free trade policies. We wouldn’t be taking back control, we would be handing over control to the EU and even to a third country for arbitration.”
She also stated that the negotiated Brexit deal “threatens the integrity of the United Kingdom, which as a Unionist, is a risk I cannot be party to.”
Not a leadership runner, but a Brexiteer that will lump in with whichever candidate Leaves best.
Faux respect: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Patriotism: 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Righteous indignation: ⭐️Leadership bid rating: Nonevent, will lump in behind Raab
Are they a big deal: No. https://t.co/a4i83fuTX9— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) November 15, 2018
Dominic Raab
Dominic Raab became Theresa May’s second Brexit secretary to resign, following the departure of David Davis earlier this year. He handed in his letter of surrender to the Prime Minister on Thursday morning, just in time for the 9am news bulletins. Considered, given he was in the cabinet meeting that allegedly agreed to support May’s draft text.
The secretary for exiting the European Union was responsible for negotiating Theresa May’s draft agreement but in his resignation letter said that same agreement was not acceptable.
Why then, has he resigned? Well, you can’t stand on a leadership platform against May’s deal if you were in the cabinet that supported it. Will he ally with Boris or go it alone?
Faux respect: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Patriotism: 🇬🇧🇬🇧
Righteous indignation: ⭐️Leadership bid rating: Big time, Raab has done the parliamentary maths and knows he must resign if he wants to be in No 10
Are they a big deal: Yeah, he literally the negotiated the deal he's resigning over https://t.co/DvmLRg14kq— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) November 15, 2018
Shailesh Vara
The initial domino that triggered Thursday’s wave of departures. The minister for Northern Ireland only assumed his post in July 2018 but still said he would “always cherish the fondest memories” of time in his government post.
“This agreement does not provide for the United Kingdom being a sovereign independent country leaving the shackles of the EU,” he wrote.
Faux respect: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Patriotism: 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Righteous indignation: ⭐️⭐️Leadership bid rating: Nah, clearly just loves drama
Are they a big deal: Not really. Northern Ireland which, if these negotiations are anything to go by, is not a big deal for the Tories https://t.co/y6oMb3xMte— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) November 15, 2018
Jo Johnson
Fitting, that the next prominent resignation after Boris Johnson would be his brother Jo. A minister for transport, he left over Brexit but not with the same motive as his colleagues.
Jo resigned a called for a second referendum, saying: “My view is that this is so different from what was billed that it would be an absolute travesty if we don’t go back to the people and ask if they want to exit the EU on this extraordinarily hopeless basis.”
Boris Johnson
The foreign secretary swiftly followed David Davis. He resigned with in 24 hours of his Brexit buddy, prompting Donald Tusk to quip when asked about the news: “”I can just repeat what I said about David Davis.”
Since, Johnson has attacked May’s government and general Brexit activity from the platform afforded to him by a column in the Telegraph.
David Davis
The first Brexit secretary to ever do it also seemingly set a parliamentary precedent for secretary of states at the department resigning after the Prime Minister presents a deal to the Conservative party.
He was followed by the sergeant of Brexit backbenchers, Steve Baker. Baker was a key organiser in the Commons for Leave supporting MPs, pushing votes onto the parliamentary agenda and generally whipping the faction into an effective voting bloc.
Amber Rudd
The Remainer resigned over the Windrush scandal.
Priti Patel
Priti Patel left government after it was revealed she had not been honest about 14 meetings with Israeli officials during a trip to the country. Political Twitter watched her recall from Uganda on Flight Radar, tracking the plane all the way home.
Michael Fallon
The defence secretary quit after three years in the post. He resigned from the position, saying his behaviour had “fallen short.”
