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Brexit: Conservative vice chairs Ben Bradley and Maria Caulfield resign over May's Chequers plan

It follows a day of high drama in Westminster, when senior Brexiteers David Davis and Boris Johnson both resigned from the cabinet

Lizzy Buchan
Political Correspondent
Tuesday 10 July 2018 17:55 BST
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Jeremy Corbyn hits out at Theresa May after Brexit resignations

Two vice-chairs of the Conservative Party have resigned in protest at Theresa May‘s new Brexit plan.

In the latest blow to the prime minister’s authority, Ben Bradley and Maria Caulfield both opted to quit their party roles on Tuesday, out of opposition to the Brexit blueprint agreed at Ms May’s Chequer’s retreat last week.

It comes after a day of high drama in Westminster, when senior Brexiteers David Davis and Boris Johnson both sensationally resigned, rather than back the prime minister.

Mr Bradley, who was vice-chair for young people, previously came under fire when blogposts emerged where he said benefit claimants should have vasectomies rather than have more children they could not afford.

He was also forced to make a grovelling apology and make a substantial donation to charity for making false claims about Jeremy Corbyn’s links with communist spies.

In his resignation letter, the Mansfield MP said: “I admit that I voted to Remain in that ballot. What has swayed me over the last two years to fully back the Brexit vision is the immense opportunities that are available from global trade, and for the ability for Britain to be an outward looking nation in control of our own destiny once again.

“I fear that this agreement at Chequers damages those opportunities; that being tied to EU regulations, and the EU tying our hands when seeking to make new trade agreements, will be the worst of all worlds if we do not deliver Brexit in spirit as well as in name, then we are handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to No10.”

Lewes MP Ms Caulfield also stood down from her role as Tory vice-chair for women, warning that the direction of travel did “not fully embrace the opportunities that Brexit can provide”.

Ms Caulfield said in her letter to the PM: “The policy may assuage vested interests, but the voters will find out and their representatives will be found out. This policy will be bad for our country and bad for the party.

“The direct consequences of that will be prime minister Corbyn.”

Her appointment to a prominent women’s role drew criticism from campaigners, as the former nurse is a vocal pro-life campaigner, who led efforts to prevent changes to strict abortion laws.

Conservative chairman Brandon Lewis said: “Maria Caulfield and Ben Bradley have worked hard since the start of the year to promote women and young people on behalf of the Conservative Party. I wish them both well as they return to the backbenches to serve their constituents.”

But Labour said the party was destroying itself from within, as the government faced a race against time to negotiate Brexit. source said: ”With just weeks to go to negotiate Brexit, NHS waiting lists growing and pay packets being squeezed, the Conservative Party continues to tear itself apart. Something has got to give.”

The prime minister was forced to carry out a mini-reshuffle on Monday after losing both her Brexit secretary and foreign secretary within hours of each other.

Housing minister Dominic Raab was promoted to become Brexit secretary, in his first cabinet role. Health secretary Jeremy Hunt was appointed as Mr Johnson’s successor at the foreign office, while ex-culture secretary Matt Hancock took his place at the department of health.

Attorney general Jeremy Wright then moved to be culture secretary, and Geoffrey Cox, a backbench Tory MP, took on his job.

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