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15th November 2018
12:24pm GMT
Sam Gyimah and David Cameron in 2013 (Credit: Peter Macdiarmid)[/caption]
Universities minister Sam Gyimah waited a good while for the dust to settle on a spell of departures before twisting the knife in the Prime Minister's back. Five resigned in the space of 24 hours, but he waited a good fortnight.
Maybe he needed it to draft the 1,000-word long Facebook status announcing his departure.
He is the seventh government minister to resign since Theresa May's draft Brexit agreement was announced.
https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1068650460041621505
Rehman Chishti (in the middle of the group to the left) outside 10 Downing Street with the other Conservative party vice chairs (Credit: Leon Neal)[/caption]
Conservative party junior vice chairman Rehman Chishti resigned his post this afternoon, continuing an avalanche of departures in Theresa May's top team.
He said his reasons for resigning were both the draft agreement for leaving the EU as well as the UK's handling of Asia Bibi's asylum case - Chishti is also the PM's trade envoy to Pakistan.
https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1063087400967114757
The fourth to fall, Suella Braverman (Credit: House of Commons)[/caption]
Suella Braverman, née Fernandes, who once famously said: "£50 billion? Don't believe it, Project Fear," of a potential divorce payment to the EU. Turned out she couldn't have been more accurate in predicting the amount the UK would pay to the EU.
She said it was with "deep regret" that she resigned.
https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1063015389964181504
Esther walks (Credit: Leon Neal)[/caption]
Esther McVey was secretary of state at the department of work and pensions.
The former cabinet minister wrote in her letter:
"The proposals put before Cabinet, which will soon be judged by the entire country, means handing over £39bn to the EU without anything with return. It will trap us in a customs union, despite you specifically promising the British people we would not be. It will bind the hands of not only this, but future governments in pursuing genuine free trade policies. We wouldn't be taking back control, we would be handing over control to the EU and even to a third country for arbitration."
She also stated that the negotiated Brexit deal "threatens the integrity of the United Kingdom, which as a Unionist, is a risk I cannot be party to."
Not a leadership runner, but a Brexiteer that will lump in with whichever candidate Leaves best.
https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1063011624519417856
Dominic Raab knocking on the door (Credit: Leon Neal)[/caption]
Dominic Raab became Theresa May's second Brexit secretary to resign, following the departure of David Davis earlier this year. He handed in his letter of surrender to the Prime Minister on Thursday morning, just in time for the 9am news bulletins. Considered, given he was in the cabinet meeting that allegedly agreed to support May's draft text.
The secretary for exiting the European Union was responsible for negotiating Theresa May's draft agreement but in his resignation letter said that same agreement was not acceptable.
Why then, has he resigned? Well, you can't stand on a leadership platform against May's deal if you were in the cabinet that supported it. Will he ally with Boris or go it alone?
https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1062998832798162944
Northern Ireland minister Shailesh Vara (Credit: House of Commons)[/caption]
The initial domino that triggered Thursday's wave of departures. The minister for Northern Ireland only assumed his post in July 2018 but still said he would "always cherish the fondest memories" of time in his government post.
"This agreement does not provide for the United Kingdom being a sovereign independent country leaving the shackles of the EU," he wrote.
https://twitter.com/PoliticsJOE_UK/status/1062998058898808833
Jo Johnson, the least famous brother, other than Leo, maybe (Credit: Jack Taylor)[/caption]
Fitting, that the next prominent resignation after Boris Johnson would be his brother Jo. A minister for transport, he left over Brexit but not with the same motive as his colleagues.
Jo resigned a called for a second referendum, saying: "My view is that this is so different from what was billed that it would be an absolute travesty if we don’t go back to the people and ask if they want to exit the EU on this extraordinarily hopeless basis."
Boris Johnson, the most famous brother (Credit: Dan Kitwood)[/caption]
The foreign secretary swiftly followed David Davis. He resigned with in 24 hours of his Brexit buddy, prompting Donald Tusk to quip when asked about the news: ""I can just repeat what I said about David Davis."
Since, Johnson has attacked May's government and general Brexit activity from the platform afforded to him by a column in the Telegraph.
Toodle pip David (Credit: Leon Neal)[/caption]
The first Brexit secretary to ever do it also seemingly set a parliamentary precedent for secretary of states at the department resigning after the Prime Minister presents a deal to the Conservative party.
He was followed by the sergeant of Brexit backbenchers, Steve Baker. Baker was a key organiser in the Commons for Leave supporting MPs, pushing votes onto the parliamentary agenda and generally whipping the faction into an effective voting bloc.
Amber Rudd resigned as a matter of principle over the Windrush scandal, (Credit: Chris J Ratcliffe)[/caption]
The Remainer resigned over the Windrush scandal.
Priti Patel addresses Conservative party conference (Credit: Jeff J Mitchell)[/caption]
Priti Patel left government after it was revealed she had not been honest about 14 meetings with Israeli officials during a trip to the country. Political Twitter watched her recall from Uganda on Flight Radar, tracking the plane all the way home.
Goodbye Michael (Credit: Carl Court)[/caption]
The defence secretary quit after three years in the post. He resigned from the position, saying his behaviour had "fallen short."
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