Boris Johnson has resigned as
British foreign secretary, becoming the third minister in 24 hours to walk out
of the government.
On Sunday, David Davis, the most
senior official in charge of Brexit negotiation, resigned after Prime Minister
Theresa May announced she had finally united her quarrelsome government to
support the plan.
Davis who was Brexit secretary
told May in a letter that the government’s proposals for future trade ties with
the bloc “will leave us in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an
inescapable one.”
His resignation Sunday night
undermined May’s already fragile government, which has lost several ministers
in the past year over sexual misconduct allegations and other scandals.
The prime minister hammered out a
compromise with her deeply divided cabinet in an all-day meeting at Chequers on
Friday, but after consulting friends and allies since, Johnson decided he could
not promote the deal.
A Downing Street spokesman said:
“This afternoon, the prime minister accepted the resignation of Boris Johnson
as foreign secretary. His replacement will be announced shortly. The prime
minister thanks Boris for his work.”
After the Chequers summit, it
emerged that Johnson had referred to attempts to sell the prime minister’s
Brexit plan as ‘polishing a turd’.
Steve Baker, also a senior
negotiator, had earlier resigned.
As the flamboyant public face of
the Vote Leave campaign, Johnson’s departure will deepen the sense of crisis
around May, and increase the chances that she could face a vote of no
confidence.
The prime minister was due to
address her backbench MPs in Westminster at 5.30pm, in an atmosphere becoming
increasingly febrile.
If 48 MPs write letters of no
confidence to the chair of the backbench 1922 Committee, Graham Brady, May will
face a vote of no confidence.
Many of the prime minister’s
supporters believe she would win such a contest, but if she lost, May would
face a leadership challenge, with Johnson among the potential candidates.
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN
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