Brexit minister Raab quits UK government over May's EU deal
British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered a huge blow on Thursday as Dominic Raab quit as her Brexit secretary, saying he "must resign" over the proposed EU withdrawal agreement.
- World
- Reuters
- Published Date: 12:00 | 15 November 2018
- Modified Date: 12:48 | 15 November 2018
Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has resigned from Prime Minister Theresa May's government in opposition to the draft deal she has agreed for leaving the European Union.
"I cannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EU," Raab tweeted.
"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," he said in a copy of a letter addressed to May, which he posted alongside his tweet.
On Wednesday, May secured the backing of her cabinet for the withdrawal agreement, which spells out the terms of Britain's departure from the EU, as well as an outline declaration on the future relationship.
"This is, at its heart, a matter of public trust," Raab said.
Without a transitional agreement in place, EU laws would no longer apply in Britain after March 29, 2019, likely triggering chaos and economic pain in both Britain and the EU.