Brexit delay: Tory minister George Eustice resigns in protest at 'humiliating' plan to extend Article 50

Former minister claims prime minister is risking 'the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country'

A government minister has quit his job protesting that Theresa May has risked the UK’s “final humiliation” by opening the door to delaying Brexit.

George Eustice resigned as farming and fisheries minister, warning: “Developments this week will lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country.”

In a letter, Mr Eustice – a supporter of the prime minister’s stalled deal – attacked her for preparing the ground for taking a no-deal Brexit off the table.

“If the position of parliament is now that we will refuse to leave without an agreement then we are somewhat stuck,” he wrote.

“This is uncomfortable for everyone, but we cannot negotiate a successful Brexit unless we are prepared to walk through the door.”

The walkout comes after Ms May bowed to growing cabinet pressure by agreeing to grant MPs a vote on extending Article 50 and delay departure beyond 29 March.

The vote will take place on 14 March if the Commons first rejects the deal on the table, in a second “meaningful vote”.

A former Ukip candidate, Mr Eustice told the prime minister he would still vote for her withdrawal agreement and that he hoped attempts to win changes to the Irish border backstop would succeed.

He said she had been “terribly undermined by those in parliament who refuse to respect the referendum result” and paid tribute to her “tenacity and resilience over the past year”.

But he wrote: “What our country needs from all its political leaders at this critical juncture is courage, and we are about to find out whether parliament has it.”

The Camborne and Redruth MP’s continued backing for the deal – thrown out in a record 230-vote mauling six weeks ago – makes his resignation different to the others that have scarred Ms May’s premiership.

Instead, his protest is at the growing likelihood of delay, unless scores of Brexiteer Tories can be persuaded to change their votes on 12 March.

It underlines that some May supporters will, given the choice, prefer to crash out of the EU on schedule on 29 March rather than accept a delay.

The fear is that, following Emmanuel Macron’s comments this week, the EU will exploit the hold-up to forge a softer Brexit, or no Brexit at all.

Mr Eustice also attacked the European Commission for failing to “behave honourably during these negotiations”.

“They have deliberately made progress slow and difficult,” he wrote. They have stated in terms that they will refuse to even hold substantive negotiations on a future partnership until after we leave.”