Shailesh Vara
Junior Northern Ireland minister Shailesh Vara, who backed remain in the EU referendum, has quit Prime Minister Theresa May's government, highlighting the challenge she faces in winning parliament's backing for her draft Brexit deal.
He is the first member of May's government to resign since she won the backing of her senior ministers for her draft Brexit deal with the European Union on Wednesday, a deal which has so far been mauled by opponents.
Vara criticised her deal in his resignation letter, saying that it left the UK "in a half-way house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation".
Vara said he could not support the draft agreement.
"We are a proud nation and it is a sad day when we are reduced to obeying rules made by other countries who have shown they do not have our best interests at heart. We can and must do better than this," he said.
British Prime Minister Theresa May will be questioned by lawmakers on Thursday after her draft Brexit deal with the European Union was mauled by opponents, allies and mutinous members of her party who warned it could sink her premiership.May won the backing of her senior ministers after a five-hour meeting on Wednesday though she now faces the much more perilous struggle of getting parliament, which has the final say, to approve the agreement. It is unclear when that vote might happen.More than two years after the United Kingdom voted in a referendum to leave the EU, May said the deal was the best the world's fifth-largest economy could hope for and that the other options were leaving with no deal or thwarting Brexit.Nick Timothy, one of May's former chiefs of staff, said her deal was a capitulation that parliament would reject."When parliament rejects the prime minister’s proposal, as surely it will, there will still be time for ministers to negotiate something better," Timothy wrote in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.Timothy, who resigned after May's botched gamble on a snap election that lost her party its majority in parliament, said Britain should use its security contribution as a bargaining chip to get a better deal.UK PM's Brexit deal is 'good news', says French finance ministerMay will give a statement to parliament on Thursday on the deal which she hopes will satisfy both Brexit voters and EU supporters by ensuring close ties with the bloc after Britain leaves on March 29.The ultimate outcome for the United Kingdom remains uncertain: scenarios range from a calm divorce to rejection of May's deal, potentially sinking her premiership and leaving the bloc with no agreement, or another referendum.Getting a deal through parliament will be difficult. She will need the votes of about 320 of the 650 lawmakers."The parliamentary arithmetic has looked tight for some time," Goldman Sachs said in a note to clients. "It now looks tighter, given signs of greater unity among those who object to the draft Agreement.""We're in the Brexs**t - Theresa May's soft Brexit deal blasted by ALL sides," read the headline in The Sun, Britain's best read newspaper.The Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) which props up May's government, said it would not back any deal that treated the British province differently from the rest of the United Kingdom.DUP leader makes UK PM May aware of concerns in a 'frank' meeting
British PM May bets all on Brexit deal as opponents plot
The leader of the small Northern Irish party propping up British Prime Minister Theresa May’s minority government said it made her aware of its concerns around the draft agreement on withdrawal from the European Union in a "frank meeting" on Wednesday."We had a frank meeting tonight with the prime minister lasting almost an hour. She is fully aware of our position and concerns," DUP leader Arlene Foster said on Twitter.Earlier, May won the backing of her cabinet for the draft agreement on terms of the UK exit. The issue of the border between British-ruled Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland has been the biggest obstacle in the Brexit talks.We had a frank meeting tonight with the Prime Minister lasting almost an hour. She is fully aware of our position and concerns.— Arlene Foster (@DUPleader) 14 Kasım 2018 Germany welcomes draft Brexit dealDUP deputy leader Dodds says UK PM May does not listenThe deputy leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, which props up British Prime Minister Theresa May’s government, accused her of failing to listen and betraying promises about the future of Northern Ireland in any EU divorce deal."I could today stand here and take the prime minister through the list, promises and pledges that she made to this House and to us privately about the future of Northern Ireland in the future relationship with the EU," Nigel Dodds said in parliament. "But I fear it would be a waste of time because clearly she doesn't listen."
DUP leader makes UK PM May aware of concerns in a 'frank' meeting