Share

UK science minister quits over Theresa May's Brexit deal

Theresa May’s efforts to convince British lawmakers to back the Brexit agreement she signed last week suffered a further setback when another minister resigned from her government and vowed to vote against her deal.

Sam Gyimah quit as science minister on Friday because he said May’s plan will leave Britain poorer and at the beck and call of European politicians. The Prime Minister has already lost the support of ministers including Esther McVey, the work and pensions secretary, and Dominic Raab, the Brexit secretary.

“It is a deal in name only,” Gyimah said in a post on his Facebook page. “And we will be relying on the good faith of the EU to deliver the bespoke deal we have been led to expect.”

He also suggested it may be necessary to delay Brexit and even ask Britons to vote in a new referendum. Gyimah, who was in the Remain camp in the 2016 vote, cited the failure of talks to keep Britain in the EU’s Galileo satellite program as a sign of the difficulties to come under May’s deal.

“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,” he said. “We will be losing, not taking control of our national destiny.”

For May, it’s yet another hurdle to her campaign to get lawmakers to back her accord. Parliament will vote on whether to accept the terms of the settlement on December 11 and, if May’s plan is defeated, she says she’ll press ahead with preparing to exit the EU without a deal. She has repeatedly rejected any talk of a second vote.

A no-deal Brexit would risk a recession, a major hit to the pound, and longer-term damage to economic growth, according to analysis published this week.

* Sign up to Fin24's top news in your inbox: SUBSCRIBE TO FIN24 NEWSLETTER

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.2%
Platinum
910.50
+1.5%
Palladium
1,011.50
+1.0%
Gold
2,221.35
+1.2%
Silver
24.87
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders