Another one bites the dust
Work and Pensions Secretary, Esther McVey, has followed (former) Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and Northern Ireland minister Shailesh Vara in handing in her resignation.
McVey publicly announced her withdrawal on Twitter, stating that she informed Prime Minister Theresa May this morning that she would be resigning from her cabinet, along with a full copy of her resignation.
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.”
“We have gone from no deal is better than a bad deal, to any deal is better than a no deal. I cannot defend this and I cannot vote for this deal,” she concluded.
Earlier this morning I informed the Prime Minister I was resigning from her Cabinet pic.twitter.com/ZeBkL5n2xH
— Esther McVey (@EstherMcVey1) November 15, 2018
At the time of writing, Brexit Minister Suella Braverman also announced her resignation.
It is with deep regret and after reflection that I have had to tender my resignation today as a Brexit Minister. Thank you for the opportunity. I look forward to working to support Brexit from the Backbenches. This has not been an easy decision. pic.twitter.com/C0kply8aLE
— Suella Braverman (@SuellaBraverman) November 15, 2018
All eyes now fall on Penny Mordaunt, MP for Portsmouth North and a prominent Brexiteer at the department for international development, who is likely the next to go.
Nine ministers have now resigned from parliament in the last twelve months.
Theresa May is due to defend her plans for Brexit in the House of Commons in the next hour but will face derision from the opposition benches as her government collapses.
