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Dominic Raab and Esther McVey resign from British cabinet over Brexit deal

BRITAIN's Brexit secretary Dominic Raab and Work and Pensions minister Esther McVey have resigned over Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal.

Mr Raab said he "cannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EU" while Ms McVey cited concerns over the future of the Union and a lack of control over money, law, borders and trade policy under a deal she felt kept the UK too close to Brussels.

Tweeting his letter of resignation, Mr Raab said: "Today, I have resigned as Brexit Secretary. I cannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EU. Here is my letter to the PM explaining my reasons, and my enduring respect for her." 

Ms McVey wrote: "The British people have always been ahead of politicians on this issue, and it will be no good trying to pretend to them that this deal honours the result of the referendum when it is obvious to everyone that it doesn't.

"We have gone from no deal is better than a bad deal, to any deal is better than no deal.

"I cannot defend this, and I cannot vote for this deal. I could not look my constituents in the eye were I to do that.

"I therefore have no alternative but to resign from the Government."

Addressing MPs in the House of Commons this morning, Theresa May paid tribute to Dominic Raab and Esther McVey, who have resigned from her Cabinet.

Ms May said: "Delivering Brexit involves difficult choices for all of us. We do not agree on all those choices, but I respect their views."

In a statement to MPs, Ms May said that the agreements reached in negotiations on Britain's future relations with the EU offered a "breadth and depth of co-operation beyond anything the EU has agreed with any other country".

The DUP's deputy leader Nigel Dodds tore into the prime minister over her deal's handling of Northern Ireland.

He told MPs: "I could today stand here and take the prime minister through the list of promises and pledges she made to this house and to us, privately, about the future of Northern Ireland in the future relationship with the EU.

"But I fear it would be a waste of time since she clearly doesn't listen."

Mr Dodds, the DUP's leader in Westminster, went on to praise the five ministers who quit on this morning, saying: "The choice is now clear: we stand up for the United Kingdom, the whole of the United Kingdom, the integrity of the United Kingdom, or we vote for a vassal state with the breakup of the United Kingdom, that is the choice."

Ms May responded saying the deal ensured that "we are preserving the integrity of the United Kingdom", adding: "The backstop is something which  nether side, neither the United Kingdom nor the European Union, wish to ever see  being exercised." 

In her statement to the Commons, Ms May said that the draft treaty agreed by Cabinet on Wednesday was not a final agreement, but brings the UK "close to a Brexit deal".

There was laughter as she said that it would allow the UK to leave "in a smooth and orderly way" on March 29.

"It takes back control of our borders, laws and money. It protects jobs, security and the integrity of the United Kingdom, and it delivers in ways that many said could simply not be done," said the PM.

"We were told we had a binary choice between the model of Norway and the model of Canada, that we could not have a bespoke deal.

"But the outline political declaration sets out an arrangement that is better for our country than both of these - a more ambitious free trade agreement than the EU has with any other country.

"We were told we would be treated like any other third country on security co-operation.

"But the outline political declaration sets out a breadth and depth of co-operation beyond anything the EU has agreed with any other country."

Setting out details of the arrangements for a possible "backstop", Ms May said: "I do not pretend that this has been a comfortable process, or that either we or the EU are entirely happy with some of the arrangements which have been included in it.

"But of course this is the case. This is an arrangement that we have both said we never want to have to use.

"But while some people might pretend otherwise, there is no deal which delivers the Brexit the British people voted for which does not involve this insurance policy - not Canada-plus-plus-plus, not Norway-for-now, not our own White Paper.

"The EU will not negotiate any future partnership without it."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn described the draft withdrawal agreement and the outline political declaration as a "huge and damaging failure", adding: "After two years of bungled negotiations the government has produced a botched deal that breaches the prime minister's own red lines and does not meet our six tests.

"The government is in chaos. Their deal risks leaving the country in an indefinite halfway house without a real say.

"When even the last Brexit secretary, who theoretically at least negotiated the deal, says 'I cannot support the proposed deal', what faith does that give anyone else in this place or in this country?

"The government simply cannot put to Parliament this half-baked deal that both the Brexit secretary and his predecessor have rejected.

"No deal is not a real option and the government has not seriously prepared for it."

Ms May said it would be "entirely irresponsible" for the government to have simply torn up the backstop.

"The Brexit talks are about acting in the national interest and that means making what I believe are the right choices, not the easy choices," she said.

"Once the final deal is agreed I will bring it to Parliament and ask MPs to consider the national interest and back it."

She added: "We can choose to leave with no deal, we can risk no Brexit at all, or we can choose to unite and support the best deal that can be negotiated."

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: "I just hope that Esther McVey takes the travesty that is Universal Credit out the door with her." ?

Mr Raab and Ms McVey's announcements were followed by resignations by Brexit minister Suella Braverman and parliamentary private secretary in the Department for Education Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

Representatives from the SDLP, Sinn Féin, Alliance and Green Party have arrived at the Department of the Taoiseach in Dublin for a meeting with Leo Varadkar to discuss the draft Brexit agreement.

SDLP leader Colm Eastwood said: "It will be a difficult few days for Theresa May but we need to focus on the positive and make sure the backstop is backed."

Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable tweeted: "The Government started Britain on a journey with no actual idea of their route or their destination. The resignation of Raab and McVey is proof that the Conservative Government is in meltdown and it's clear the Conservatives are now driving the country off a cliff."

He added: "The Tories are finally realising what we have always known. There is no way to prevent Brexit from leaving our country worse off. This is quite simply a #Brexitshambles."

As two ministers resigned from the UK cabinet, European Commission chief negotiator Michel Barnier tweeted: "Under the authority of President JunckerEU  and with the support of EU-Commission, we reached an important step last night in the #Brexit negotiations. But there is a long road ahead. We remain 


determined to deliver an orderly withdrawal with the UK." 

Remain-backing Conservative MP Anna Soubry tweeted: "Raab's resignation marks the end of PMs Withdrawal Agreement. This is v serious the PM will clearly be considering her position. My own view is that we need a Govt of National Unity and we need it now." 

Shailesh Vara had quit as minister of state for Northern Ireland
Shailesh Vara had quit as minister of state for Northern Ireland Shailesh Vara had quit as minister of state for Northern Ireland

Hours earlier Shailesh Vara had quit as minister of state for Northern Ireland, saying Mrs May's agreement, "leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation".

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The pound fell heavily against most major currencies after Mr Raab's resignation.

Sterling dropped 1.1% to 1.28 US dollars and was 1.2% lower at 1.13 euros.

Full text of Dominic Raab's resignation letter

Dear Prime Minister,

It has been an honour to serve in your government as Justice Minister, Housing Minister and Brexit Secretary.

I regret to say that, following the Cabinet meeting yesterday on the Brexit deal. I must resign. I understand why you have chosen to pursue the deal with the EU on the terms proposed, and I respect the different views held in good faith by all of our colleagues.

For my part, I cannot support the proposed deal for two reasons. First I believe that the regulatory regime proposed for Northern Ireland presents a very real threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom.

Second, I cannot support an indefinite backstop arrangement, where the EU holds a veto over our ability to exit. The terms of the backstop amount to a hybrid of the EU Customs Union and Single Market obligations. No democratic nation has ever signed up to be bound by such an extensive regime, imposed externally without any democratic control over the laws to be applied, nor the ability to decide to exit the arrangement. That arrangement is now also taken as the starting point for negotiating the Future Economic Partnership. If we accept that, it will severely prejudice the second phase of negotiations against the UK.

Above all, I cannot reconcile the terms of the proposed deal with the promises we made to the country in our manifesto at the last election. This is, at its heart, a matter of public trust.

I appreciate that you disagree with my judgment on these issues. I have weighed very carefully the alternative courses of action which the government could take, on which I have previously advised. Ultimately, you deserve a Brexit Secretary who can make the case for the deal you are pursuing with conviction. I am only sorry, in good conscience, that I cannot.

My respect for you and the fortitude you have shown in difficult times, remains undimmed.

Yours sincerely

Dominic Raab

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