A seventh UK Government minister has resigned in protest at the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
Universities and Science Minister Sam Gyimah is the seventh UK minister to resign over hte deal, accepted by the UK Cabinet and agreed by EU leaders.
Mr Gyamah has labelled the deal “naive” and insisted that it has an “EU first” focus – claiming the UK faces the prospect of losing its voice in Europe while still having to abide by EU rules.
“In these protracted negotiations, our interests will be repeatedly and permanently hammered by the EU27 for many years to come,” he wrote in an article for the Daily Telegraph.
“Britain will end up worse off, transformed from rule makers into rule takers.
“It has become increasingly clear to me that the proposed deal is not in the British national interest and that to vote for this deal is to set ourselves up for failure.
“We will be losing, not taking control of our national destiny.”
UK Prime Minister Theresa May at the G20 Summit in Bueos Aires, 30-11-2018. Image: Ralf Hirschberger/DPA/PA Images
Mr Gyamah voted to remain in the EU in the 2016 referendum and has called on the British Prime Minister not to rule out holding a second vote.
"We shouldn't dismiss out of hand the idea of asking the people again what future they want, as we all now have a better understanding of the potential paths before us," he said.
His resignation was sparked by confirmation that the UK will pull out of the EUs Galileo satellite navigation project.
Mrs May said the UK will now explore the possibility of building its own system that can guide military drones, run energy networks and provide essential services for civilian smart phones.
Experts have predicted it will cost an estimated £3bn to £5bn (€3.4bn to 5.7bn) and it is unclear whether the UK will get back the £1.2bn (€2.35bn) it has already spent on the Galileo project.
Demonstrators hold flares and a banner over Westminster Bridge in front of the Parliament buildings in London, 28-11-2018. Image: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP/Press Association Images
Mrs May said: "I have been clear from the outset that the UK will remain firmly committed to Europe's collective security after Brexit.
"But given the Commission's decision to bar the UK from being fully involved in developing all aspects of Galileo it is only right that we find alternatives.
"I cannot let our armed services depend on a system we cannot be sure of - that would not be in our national interest.
"As a global player with world-class engineers and steadfast allies around the world we are not short of options."
In Ireland meanwhile, plans for a ‘no-deal’ Brexit are being kicked up a notch.
According to the Irish Times, a number of meetings were held this week to discuss the implications for airlines of a no deal scenario.
The UK Parliament will hold a crunch vote on the deal on December 11th.
Both Mrs May and the European Council president Donald Tusk have warned thatrejection of the deal will open the door to “no deal or no Brexit at all.”
