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UK CABINET MINISTER Andrea Leadsom has quit Theresa May’s government, heaping more pressure on the beleaguered British Prime Minister.
Leadsom was the runner up in the Conservative leadership contest when May became leader in 2016 and until today served as Leader of the House of Commons.
In a statement this evening, Leadsom says she stayed in Cabinet “to shape and fight for Brexit” but “no longer believes that our approach will deliver on the referendum result”.
Leadsom said she had taken the decision to resign “with great regret and with a heavy heart”.
The senior minister says May’s latest proposal risks “undermining our Union” and will not deliver “a truly sovereign United Kingdom”
As part of a strategy to attempt to win support in the House of Commons, May tied the passing of her Withdrawal Agreement to an MPs vote on the holding of another referendum.
The decision enraged many within her own Tory party who pointed to the agreed policy that they would deliver on the result of the 2016 referendum.
In her statement, Leadsom said she had made some “uncomfortable compromises” up until now but cannot continue to support May.
“I no longer believe that our approach will deliver on the referendum result, for the following reasons,” she wrote.
1. I do not believe that we will be a truly sovereign United Kingdom through the deal that is now proposed.2. I have always maintained that a second referendum would be dangerously divisive, and I do not support the government willingly facilitating such a concession. It would also risk undermining our Union which is something I passionately want to see strengthened.
3. There has been such a breakdown of government processes that recent Brext-related legislative proposals have not been properly scrutinised or approved by Cabinet members.
4. The tolerance to those in Cabinet who have advocated policies contrary to the Government’s position has led to a complete breakdown of collective responsibility.
Leadsom made reference to the European elections being held in the UK tomorrow and said she had “considered carefully the timing of this decision”.
This latest departure has placed more pressure on May on a day in which her own departure appeared to be immement.
May will meet her party’s backbench 1922 Committee on Friday.
Only last week, the 1922 Committee said that a timetable for May’s departure would be announced next month.
May had survived a confidence vote of her parliamentary party in December. Under the rules of the 1922 Committee, another confidence vote in her leadership could not be called within in a year.
A poll of Conservative Party members last week found that former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is their overwhelming favourite to lead the party after May steps down.
Johnson has already stated that he will contest a leadership contest and Leadsom’s departure will be taken as a sign that she will also.
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I’d love to get his autograph on a letter of resignation.
@Cillian McCormick: Wouldn’t that be something especially accompanied by other resignation letters
There’s still time for a Christmas miracle.
Wonker
Let’s call a spade a spade, an awful lot more don’t like him.
Hardly surprising on the face of it as Fine Gael are a pro life party and Enda himself has stated his position on the matter clearly:
‘This is a Catholic country – there will be no abortion in this republic as long as I’m in office’.
@Alex Falcone: thankfully he will not always be in office.. As a matter of fact I would say his time in office is coming to an end sooner rather than later. Happy Xmas Alex, cal, noah, Isaac, eunuch Burke.
@Alex Falcone: can you direct me to where you found that “quote”? The only one I can find is this one, which pretty much contradicts yours completely…. “I am a Taoiseach who happens to be Catholic but not a Catholic Taoiseach” enda Kenny , when passing abortion legislation despite backlash from your Bishops.
@Dell: Seems like Alex has run away into his safe place.You will find that precious snowflakes like him will do that when they are found out with their BS.
@Alex Falcone: “‘This is a Catholic country – there will be no abortion in this republic as long as I’m in office’.”
A Catholic country that has gay marriage? Yeah you keep fooling yourself into thinking that :-)
@Clon Lad:
‘Precious snowflake’
Have you just suggested I’m a liberal?
Right, I’m contacting my solicitor immediately.
@Alex Falcone: you couldn’t reach the level of liberal on your mammy’s Shoulders . Ya know, the one you pretended to not be related to on the radio when you were both complaining about same sex marriage. So Alex _eunuch.. Show us where that “quote”‘ came from… . Or were you lying? That’s a sin you know ? A Big no no with the great big deity in the sky you believe in.
@Dell:
Have you missed an appointment with your psychiatrist lately?
Why redact the names and addresses of the senders? Why make the emails and letters anonymous?
@Micheal OLainn: why do you want to harass them?
@Micheal OLainn: Very simply Michael – the mails were a private communication between the sender and the recipient. This should always be respected no matter who the senders or recipients are.
No need to redact all the email addresses… some of them were clearly from mammykenny@gmail.com
Those autographs are probably for African gang members for forgeries. Kenny probably falls for it every time. Then some money goes missing from the state coffers, and its raise taxes again and hide the losses in the water debt fiasco.
have your say