David Davis has handed in his resignation as the UK’s Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, according to reports. Prime Minister Theresa May is expected to present her vision for the exit deal in Brussels in a week.
Davis’ resignation was first reported by the UK’s Press Association. It is “effective immediately,” according to Reuters, which cites a source close to Davis.
The resignation comes as PM Theresa May is taking flak for the “soft” Brexit deal she is planning to arrange with the EU. Following the Friday Cabinet meeting at Chequers, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called agreeing to May’s proposal “polishing a turd,” as he and several other high-ranking officials called for a tougher stance against Brussels.
Davis was “exchanging (resignation) letters with the PM,” Reuters cited its source as saying after the news of his resignation broke. When asked about Davis’ reasons for stepping down, the source reportedly said, “Chequers” in reference to the dragged-out Friday meeting.
In his resignation letter, Davis picks apart May’s approach to negotiating Brexit, saying that he was a “reluctant conscript” in implementing it rather than “an enthusiastic believer.”
“The general direction of policy will leave us in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one,“ he wrote, adding that he believes that “the inevitable consequence of the proposed policies will be to make the supposed control” of the Brexit procedure by the MPs “illusory rather than real.”
The proposed “common rule book” policy, he noted further, would effectively give the EU control of “large swathes of our economy” and “is certainly not returning control of our laws in any real sense.”EU
Davis is reportedly taking Brexit Department Minister Steve Baker with him, who is also resigning, according to Telegraph staff, who cite government sources.
May, who is expected to present her Brexit demands to the EU on July 16 in Brussels, reportedly told her allies she was ready to sack Boris Johnson, a staunch Brexiteer, if he tries to undermine her Brexit negotiating position.
Source: rt
