A WAVE of resignations has left Prime Minister Theresa May in trouble over Brexit.
Last night, it was announced that her Cabinet had agreed a draft deal for the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
But this morning, as Mrs May prepared to deliver a statement to parliament, she lost her second Brexit secretary in just five months with the resignation of Dominic Raab.
Mr Raab – who only took over in the summer after David Davis resigned in protest over the PM’s withdrawal strategy – said he “cannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EU”.
Mrs May’s Cabinet was further rocked by Esther McVey quitting her post as Work and Pensions Secretary, saying that she “could not look my constituents in the eye” if she voted in favour of the deal.
Other departures today included Suella Braverman, who resigned as a Brexit minister, and Shailesh Vara who announced his departure as Northern Ireland Minister.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan also resigned as a parliamentary private secretary in the Department for Education, saying she cannot support the Brexit deal after negotiations “built on the UK trying to appease the EU”.
Today’s departures follow over a year of turmoil for Theresa May’s Cabinet since the 2017 general election.
Cabinet departures
Michael Fallon
Resigned as defence secretary on November 1 last year after being caught up in Westminster sleaze allegations, saying his behaviour had “fallen below the high standards required” after admitting putting his hand on the knee of radio presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer some years ago.
Priti Patel
Quit as international development secretary a week later, over undisclosed and unauthorised meetings in Israel, including with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Damian Green
Left his post as first secretary of state in the Cabinet on December 20 last year after a probe found he made “inaccurate and misleading” statements about pornography on his computer.
Justine Greening
It was just eight days into the New Year when Greening was sacked in the PM’s reshuffle in January after refusing to move from her education post to the Department for Work and Pensions. Today, she called for a second referendum on Brexit.
Amber Rudd
The Home Secretary resigned in April after admitting she had “inadvertently” misled MPs over the existence of targets for removing illegal immigrants over the Windrush scandal.
David Davis and Boris Johnson
Brexit Secretary David Davis and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson both quit within a matter of hours of each other in July over Theresa May’s Chequers plan for Brexit.
Tracey Crouch
Quit as sports and civil society minister on November 1 over a row about delays in cutting the maximum stake for fixed-odds betting terminals.
Jo Johnson
Boris’s brother left his role as transport minister on November 9, demanding a second Brexit referendum because he said Mrs May was leading the country towards a “terrible mistake”.
Shailesh Vara
Quit as Northern Ireland minister, saying he could not support Mrs May’s Brexit agreement which “leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation”.
Dominic Raab
Quit as Brexit Secretary, saying he “cannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EU”.
Esther McVey
The Work and Pensions Secretary followed suit, saying the Brexit deal “does not honour the result of the referendum”.
Suella Braverman
Resigned as a Brexit minister, saying she was “unable to sincerely support the deal agreed yesterday by Cabinet”.
Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Resigned as a parliamentary private secretary in the Department for Education, saying she cannot support the Brexit deal after negotiations “built on the UK trying to appease the EU”.
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