The British Secretary of State for Brexit Chris Heaton-Harris resigns from the government. Heaton-Harris is an avid advocate of Brexit, and he says he cannot reconcile with a further postponement of the date on which the British leave the EU.
Chris Heaton-Harris is the umpteenth member of the government who is stepping out of dissatisfaction with the approach to the Brexit by Prime Minister Theresa May.
Now that she has asked again on Tuesday evening for a brief postponement of the UK exit from the EU – this time to find a way out with Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn – his job has become “unnecessary”, he says in his letter of resignation.
Heaton-Harris, as state secretary in the department before leaving the EU, was responsible for planning the measures in the event of an unauthorised Brexit, but that no longer makes sense because of May’s determination to avoid such a scenario, he says.
After his resignation, Heaton-Harris immediately broke out of confession. According to him, Theresa May is not fully aware of the extent to which her government is prepared for a no-deal scenario.
“The brilliant officials in my departments have moved mountains to ensure that our country was ready to leave the EU without agreement. Unfortunately, I think that the briefings you have had about that do not reflect that sufficiently, “he says in his farewell letter.
He does emphasise that he prefers a departure with an agreement, “but I believe that our country would soon have recovered if there had been no agreement.”
Earlier in the day, Nigel Adams also threw in the towel. The junior minister for Wales did not support the talks between May and Corbyn, which he called “a big mistake.”
Meanwhile, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that he was prepared to give the British until April 12 to approve the Brexit agreement at the Lower House, so that it could exit the EU on 22 May with an agreement. But after that date, “no additional delay in the short term is possible”.
The British Prime Minister Theresa May is still looking for a way out for the Brexit, as long as she fails to get the Brexit agreement with the EU approved by the Lower House at the end of last year.
Yesterday evening, after hours of consultation with her government, she announced that she would exclude a Brexit without agreement. She also asked for a new, short delay.
Today the prime minister talks to opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn hoping to find a solution across party borders. May also has a meeting with Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon.