UK foreign secretary, minister quit over Brexit
LONDON: Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson quit yesterday over Prime Minister Theresa May’s plans to leave the European Union (EU), the second resignation in a day leaving the British leader’s Brexit plans all but in tatters.
After a day when Johnson cancelled meetings for crisis talks at his official residence here, he decided to quit his post — just hours after May’s Brexit minister David Davis did the same in protest at her plans.
The resignations leave May exposed at the top of a government unable to unite over Britain’s biggest foreign and trading policy shift in almost half a decade.
It puts a question mark over whether she will try to weather it and stand firm in her commitment to pursue a “business friendly”
Brexit, or will be faced with more resignations and calls to quit herself.
“This afternoon, the prime minister accepted the resignation of Boris Johnson as foreign secretary,” May’s spokesman said. “His replacement will be announced shortly. The prime minister thanks Boris for his work.”
The departures raise the stakes for May, who secured a hard-won agreement with her deeply divided cabinet of ministers on Friday to keep the closest possible trading ties with the EU.