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Britain’s Transport Minister Jo Johnson on Friday became the latest member from Prime Minister Theresa May’s government to resign over the issue of Brexit.
Johnson, the younger brother of hard-Brexiteer Boris Johnson, called for the public to have a fresh say on Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU).
The Conservative Party MP, who was a New Delhi-based journalist for ‘The Financial Times’ between 2005 and 2008, said the UK was “barrelling towards an incoherent Brexit that is going to leave us trapped in a subordinate relationship to the EU”.
It was “imperative” to “go back to the people and check they are content to proceed on this extraordinary basis“.
Unlike his Brexit voting brother who resigned as foreign secretary in July, Johnson voted to remain in the EU.
“Hopes for the ‘easiest trade deal in history’ have proved to be delusions,” Johnson said in his statement.
“Contrary to promises, there is in fact no deal at all on our future trading relationship with the EU which the government can present to the country,” he said.
Boris praised Johnson’s decision, saying they were “united in dismay” at Prime Minister May’s handling of the Brexit negotiations.
May is in Belgium to mark the First World War centenary and is expected to be discussing Brexit with EU leaders.
UK Cabinet ministers have been invited this week to read the UK’s draft withdrawal deal with the EU.
An agreement on how to guarantee no hard border in Northern Ireland remains a continuing sticking point between both sides.
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