The government of British Prime Minister Theresa May was plunged into turmoil today with the resignation of two senior Cabinet ministers, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, signalling a growing split over her strategy to quit the European Union next year.
Johnson, the poster boy in the Cabinet for pro-Brexit ministers, quit, hours after the resignation of the minister in charge of Brexit negotiations, David Davis.
Their decision to leave the government came three days after May appeared to have agreed a deal with her fractured Cabinet on the UK's post-Brexit relationship with the EU. That plan is now in tatters and her political future appears uncertain.
Johnson did not arrive at the Foreign Office near Downing Street this morning, triggering speculation over further trouble ahead for the embattled prime minister.
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, a Downing Street spokesperson said.
The UK is due to leave the 28-member European Union on March 29, 2019, but the two sides have yet to agree how trade will work between them afterwards.
It had been widely reported that Johnson was not supportive of May's latest Brexit plans, thrashed out at a crucial meeting last Friday. However, there seemed to have been a shaky truce in place until Brexit minister Davis, resigned from the Cabinet stating policy differences over her exit plan from the European Union, but insisted that he had no plans of backing a revolt against May.
The Secretary of State for Exiting the EU said he remained unpersuaded about the government's negotiating position, just days after the prime minister had rallied her Cabinet to a crucial away day at her country retreat, Chequers, to thrash out a collective position on the issue.
Speaking amid a charged up House of Commons, May paid tribute to Johnson's "passion" in championing a global Britain after Brexit and Davis' work in steering through key Brexit legislation, but added that "we do not agree on the best way to deliver our shared commitments to honour the result of the referendum."
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In her own letter, May thanked Davis for his service, but adds: "I do not agree with your characterisation of the policy we agreed at Cabinet on Friday."
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