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Turmoil as UK Ministers Quit Gov’t Protesting May’s Brexit Deal

Turmoil as UK Ministers Quit Gov’t Protesting May’s Brexit Deal
folder_openUnited States access_time5 years ago
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Local Editor

A number of UK ministers has left the government amid disagreements over the controversial draft Brexit deal with Prime Minister Theresa May after she managed to secure the cabinet's support of the agreement.

Following in the footsteps of the UK Nothern Ireland minister, Brexit Minister Dominic Raab has also announced his resignation from the government. The announcement almost immediately affected the British currency, with the pound plunging.

"I regret to say that, following the Cabinet meeting yesterday on the Brexit deal, I must resign… For my part, I cannot support the proposed deal for two reasons," Raab said in his resignation letter posted on Twitter.

As the Telegraph revealed later, citing its sources, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Michael Gove has been offered the position of the Brexit minister. Meanwhile, Theresa May's spokesman stated that new ministers would be appointed in the usual way. That is the only official statement on the issue made so far.

At the same time, another official joined the wave of resignations: Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena, a British Conservative Party politician, resigned as Parliamentary Private Secretaries (PPS) at the Ministry of Justice, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Earlier in the day, Northern Ireland minister Shailesh Vara, who backed Remain campaign in the EU referendum, has left his post in the UK government.

"With much sadness and regret I have submitted my letter of resignation as a Northern Ireland Minister to the Prime Minister. A copy of my letter is attached. It has been a joy and privilege to serve in the Northern Ireland Office and I will always cherish the fondest memories," Vara said.

Shailesh Vara was appointed Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office on July 23, 2018; previously he served as Parliamentary Undersecretary of State.

Reacting to Raab's decision to quit, Britain's main opposition Labour Party said Theresa May had no authority left.

"The Government is falling apart before our eyes as for a second time the Brexit secretary has refused to back the Prime Minister's Brexit plan," said Jon Trickett, a member of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's senior team.

Vara and Raab have been followed by Esther McVey, the work and Pensions Secretary, who has also decided to resign from May's cabinet. Shortly after, Junior Brexit Minister Suella Braverman joined the top officials, who left the UK government.

The moves come after UK Prime Minister Theresa May announced that UK Cabinet had approved draft Brexit agreement with the EU after 5-hour talks. The draft deal would be submitted to the parliament for review.

The same day, EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier revealed the contents of the provisional Brexit deal, with the accord including agreements on citizens' rights, future trade cooperation and Irish border issue, among other things.

The controversial deal has been severely criticized within the Conservative Party and beyond, with former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson saying that it would turn the UK into an EU "vassal state."

The draft agreement text says that the UK can request the extension of the transition period at any time before July 1, 2020. The transition may be extended by mutual consent. London and Brussels have been engaged in Brexit talks since June 2017.

The European Council will hold a meeting to finalize a Brexit agreement on November 25 as long as nothing unforeseen happens, the council's president, Donald Tusk, said Thursday after a meeting with the chief EU negotiator for Brexit, Michel Barnier.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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