UK minister resigns over Theresa May's decision to delay Brexit
UK Junior Agriculture Minister George Eustice has resigned over a decision by British Prime Minister Theresa May to allow the parliament to delay Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union.
Eustice, who is responsible for agriculture, fisheries and food, announced his resignation on Thursday, saying he was discontent with May’s decision to allow the parliament to vote on delaying Brexit.
May told the House of Commons earlier this week that lawmakers would have a chance to extend a legal mechanism for leaving the EU beyond the official withdrawal date of March 29 if her Brexit deal is rejected in the chamber.
The decision came under increasing pressure from members of May’s own government who had warned they could back parliament’s efforts for delaying Brexit unless she rules out a disorderly exit from the EU.
Eustice said allowing an extension to the Article 50 of EU’s Lisbon Treaty, a clause Britain triggered following the June 2016 referendum, would be “the final humiliation of our country”.
“I fear that developments this week will lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country,” said the minister in his resignation letter.
He said May had been undermined by ministers and lawmakers who are trying to reverse Brexit and disrespect the will of the British people.
Despite huge parliamentary opposition to her Brexit strategy, May had indicated that she would be ready to bring Britain out of the EU with no deal at the end of March.
However, while trying to go through the Commons with the deal, the premier said on Tuesday that lawmakers could vote on extending Article 50 for another three months if the deal, signed off by EU in November, is rejected in a second vote on March 12.
Pro-Brexit lawmakers like Eustice have insisted Britain will be better off in few years time if it leaves the EU with no deal on March 29. Opponents say a hard Brexit would create massive shocks for the British economy by negatively affecting jobs and businesses in the country.
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