Posted on: The Telegraph | November 12th, 2018
Authors:  Chris Graham & Jack Maidment

  • Four ministers quit Government over Brexit deal
  • Dominic Raab and Esther McVey resign from Cabinet
  • Michael Gove offered job of Brexit Secretary, yet to decide
  • PM defends deal: British people want us to get this done
  • Jacob Rees-Mogg to submit letter of no confidence
  • How Tory MPs could trigger a vote of no confidence in PM
  • Donald Tusk confirms EU Brexit summit on November 25
  • Brexit deal in full: Read the whole document here
  • How Brexit Cabinet erupted with a ‘massive bust-up’

Four ministers have quit Theresa May’s Government over her Brexit deal as Jacob Rees-Mogg prepared to send a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister.

Dominic Raab quit as Brexit Secretary while Esther McVey resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary as junior ministers Shailesh Vara and Suella Braverman also decided to leave the frontbench.

The Telegraph understands that Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, has been asked to take over from Mr Raab but he is yet to make a decision on his future.

Mrs May launched an impassioned defence of her agreement following the resignations as she told MPs in the House of Commons: “The British people want us to get this done.”

But Jacob Rees-Mogg, the chairman of the European Research Group of Eurosceptic Tory MPs, delivered a hammer blow to Mrs May’s leadership as he asked the Prime Minister to her face why he should not submit a letter of no confidence in her leadership.

Sources subsequently confirmed that the influential MP for North East Somerset will today send his letter to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee.

A no confidence vote will be triggered if Sir Graham receives 48 letters from Tory MPs.

Mrs May’s leadership was also rocked by Nigel Dodds, the DUP’s leader in Westminster, who told the PM that she had failed to listen to the Northern Irish party’s concerns and that her deal would leave the UK a “vassal state” of the EU.

The Prime Minister managed to get her Brexit deal through Cabinet on Wednesday after a gruelling five hour meeting during which numerous senior figures expressed opposition to her strategy.

Eurosceptic Tory MPs, the DUP and some Remainers lined up to condemn the plan before it was even published, as they accused her of breaking promises and leaving the UK at the mercy of Brussels.

The chaos in Westminster came as Donald Tusk, the president of the EU council, said an EU summit will be held on Sunday November 25 when European leaders will meet to consider the Brexit deal.

Their fury only increased upon its publication with attacks and criticism coming from all sides. 

Mr Tusk vowed to make Britain’s departure from the EU as smooth as he could but said that Brexit was ultimately a «lose-lose situation».

He told reporters in Brussels: «As much as I am sad to see you leave, I will do everything to make this farewell the least painful possible for you and for us.»

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