I resigned from the Cabinet because I could not support the government’s Brexit deal. And I still judge it to be a poor deal. But I also recognise that with the government purporting to take no deal off the table, and its acquiescence in the extension of Article 50, that we potentially face an even worse alternative that could reverse Brexit and betray our democracy.
In extending Article 50 and signalling it was taking a WTO exit off the table, the Government weakened its own negotiating position in Brussels, and I’m afraid it heartened those in Parliament trying to frustrate Brexit. This was a serious mistake, one which breached the clear commitments made in Parliament and in the 2017 Conservative manifesto.
As a direct result of that political choice, we now face a real risk of the UK being forced to accept something akin to Single Market Membership – losing control over our laws, our borders and an independent trade policy.
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