Dominic Raab has sensationally quit as Brexit Secretary, in a massive blow to Theresa May's Brexit plans.

Mr Raab, who only took over in the summer after David Davis resigned in protest over the Prime Minister's withdrawal strategy, said he "cannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EU".

His surprise departure on Thursday came amid a furious backlash from Brexit-backing Tories to the deal agreed by UK and EU negotiators four months ahead of the UK's scheduled withdrawal on March 29.

Hours earlier Shailesh Vara had quit as minister of state for Northern Ireland, saying Mrs May's agreement, "leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation".

The list of all those who have resigned over Brexit so far:

Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey has resigned, saying the Brexit deal "does not honour the result of the referendum".

She is the second Cabinet minister to quit this morning after Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab.

The extraordinary move is a calamitous hit to Theresa May that will hugely ramp up the risk of toppling her - and forcing a chaotic No Deal Brexit.

It comes after Ms McVey was reportedly "shouted down" when she tried to register her objection to the deal with a formal vote during last night's Cabinet.

Reports suggested she was left in tears.

Tweeting his letter of resignation, Mr Raab said: "Today, I have resigned as Brexit Secretary. I cannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EU. Here is my letter to the PM explaining my reasons, and my enduring respect for her."

Following the Brexit Secretary's resignation, former Ukip leader Nigel Farage tweeted: "Well done Dominic Raab, a few more and we will be rid of this duplicitous Prime Minister."

Here is Dominic Raab's letter of resignation

It has been an honour to serve in your government as Justice Minister, Housing Minister and Brexit Secretary.

I regret to say that, following the Cabinet meeting yesterday on the Brexit deal. I must resign. I understand why you have chosen to pursue the deal with the EU on the terms proposed, and I respect the different views held in good faith by all of our colleagues.

For my part, I cannot support the proposed deal for two reasons. First I believe that the regulatory regime proposed for Northern Ireland presents a very real threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom.

Second, I cannot support an indefinite backstop arrangement, where the EU holds a veto over our ability to exit. The terms of the backstop amount to a hybrid of the EU Customs Union and Single Market obligations. No democratic nation has ever signed up to be bound by such an extensive regime, imposed externally without any democratic control over the laws to be applied, nor the ability to decide to exit the arrangement. That arrangement is now also taken as the starting point for negotiating the Future Economic Partnership. If we accept that, it will severely prejudice the second phase of negotiations against the UK.

Above all, I cannot reconcile the terms of the proposed deal with the promises we made to the country in our manifesto at the last election. This is, at its heart, a matter of public trust.

I appreciate that you disagree with my judgment on these issues. I have weighed very carefully the alternative courses of action which the government could take, on which I have previously advised. Ultimately, you deserve a Brexit Secretary who can make the case for the deal you are pursuing with conviction. I am only sorry, in good conscience, that I cannot.

My respect for you and the fortitude you have shown in difficult times, remains undimmed.

Shailesh Vara quit as minister of state for Northern Ireland, saying he cannot support Mrs May's agreement, which he said "leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation".

His resignation came as European Council president Donald Tusk announced an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on November 25, at which the withdrawal agreement and a political declaration on future relations will be finalised and formalised.

Mr Vara's departure comes amid a furious backlash from Brexit-backing Tories to the deal agreed by UK and EU negotiators four months ahead of the UK's scheduled withdrawal on March 29.

Westminster was braced for further resignations, amid widespread expectations that the Prime Minister may face a challenge to her position from Conservative MPs submitting letters of no confidence in her leadership.

The Prime Minister cleared the first hurdle when Cabinet ministers finally approved the draft terms of her agreement with Brussels at a stormy five-hour meeting on Wednesday.

But she now faces a battle to get it through Parliament as pro-Leave Conservative MPs - as well as some Remainers - lined up to condemn the plan, accusing her of breaking promises and leaving the UK at the mercy of Brussels.

In a resignation statement, North-West Cambridgeshire MP Mr Vara - who was promoted by Mrs May as recently as July - said: "We are a proud nation and it is a say day when we are reduced to obeying rules made by other countries who have shown that they do not have our best interests at heart.

"We can and must do better than this. The people of the UK deserve better."

Mr Vara, a former Conservative vice chairman who has served as a whip and on the frontbenches for the bulk of his career since entering Parliament in 2005, backed Remain in the 2016 referendum.

Jo Johnson has signalled that more ministers may be poised to quit over Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plans.

Mr Johnson, whose bombshell resignation as transport minister took Westminster by surprise, said if other senior Tories followed suit, "good on them".

Calling for a second referendum to be held on Brexit, Mr Johnson denounced the choice between Mrs May's deal plans or a no-deal scenario as a "failure of British statecraft on a scale unseen since the Suez crisis" that had left Britain facing "vassalage" or "chaos".

David Davis resigned as Brexit Secretary in a major blow to Theresa May in July.

Mr Davis' exit may embolden Brexiteer backbenchers with concerns about Mrs May's leadership.

The move comes on the eve of a major test for the Prime Minister as she faces first the House of Commons and then a potentially stormy meeting of Tory MPs and peers on Monday.

The long-serving Conservative MP was among the new intake when Tony Blair's new Labour swept to power in 1997.

In the two decades since, the former SAS reservist has become an established figure within the party, challenging David Cameron to a 2005 leadership contest which the younger man went on to win.

He would become a key ally in Theresa May's embattled Cabinet.

The no-nonsense politician revelled in the description of being Britain's "Brexit bulldog", charged with leading negotiations with his EU counterpart over the country's withdrawal from the bloc.

He has been noted by former colleagues for his "tough, resilient" approach.

His role as Brexit Secretary was crucial to ensuring Britain leaves the EU next year with what Mrs May described as the "best possible deal".

Theresa May's long-standing rival Boris Johnson announced he was to quit as Foreign Secretary the day after Mr Davis.

Even before Mr Johnson stood down, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said Theresa May has "no authority left" and called for an election "in the interests of the great majority of people in Scotland".

He said it would be a "change to change course".

"The Prime Minister is in office but not in power," he said. "This is not sustainable.

"The Tory crisis makes a Labour government with Jeremy Corbyn as Prime Minister a very real possibility."

Minister Steve Baker quit the same day as Mr Davis.

Referring to the Chequers proposal in his resignation letter, he wrote: "I cannot support this policy with the sincerity and resolve which will be necessary".

He quit the government to vote against it on an amendment tabled by Jacob Rees-Mogg.

The Aberconwy MP complained that "the Brexit that is being delivered today could not be further from what was promised".

He backed a so-called People's Vote, a second referendum on the final divorce terms. </s> Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and Northern Ireland minister Shailesh Vara today announced their resignations, piling pressure on Prime Minister Theresa May over her Brexit withdrawal agreement with the EU. The pound reacted negatively against the euro off the back of the news, as stocks in Europe moved on the up this morning. As of 8:50 GMT, the FTSE 100 was up by 38 points, or 0.47 percent, to reach 7,066.77. The DAX in Germany had improved by 72 points, while the CAC 40 INDEX in France was on the up by 38 points.

In Italy, the FTSE MIB had increased by 40 points. Mr Raab said he could not support Mrs May as he refused to back "the regulatory regime proposed for Northern Ireland" or what he described as an "indefinite backstop arrangement". He said: “It has been an honour to serve in your government as Justice Minister, Housing Minister and Brexit Secretary. "I regret to say that following the Cabinet meeting yesterday on the Brexit deal I must resign.

“I understand why you have chosen to pursue the deal with the EU on the terms proposed, and I respect the different views held in good faith by all of our colleagues." Remainer Mr Vara declared “the people of the UK deserve better” as he refused to stand by the Prime Minister and support her negotiation. Mr Vara, the Tory MP for North West Cambridgeshire, said the Tory leader's plans "leave the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation". In a statement posted on Twitter, he said: "We are a proud nation and it is a say day when we are reduced to obeying rules made by other countries who have shown that they do not have our best interests at heart.

"We can and must do better than this. The people of the UK deserve better." Posting an image of his resignation letter, he said: "With much sadness and regret I have submitted my letter of resignation as a Northern Ireland Minister to the Prime Minister. "A copy of my letter is attached. "It has been a joy and privilege to serve in the Northern Ireland Office and I will always cherish the fondest memories." The Prime Minister is due to give a statement on her Brexit plan to the House of Commons later today, after last night's staggering five-hour Cabinet meeting. It is reported that 11 ministers - one third of the Cabinet - spoke out against the plans. EU ambassadors would meet to share the assessments on the draft deal this week. </s> The Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey said the Brexit deal "does not honour the result of the referendum" in another major blow to Prime Minister Theresa May. She tweeted her resignation letter alongside the caption: "Earlier this morning I informed the Prime Minister I was resigning from her Cabinet." It comes just moments after the sensational resignations of Brexit Scretary Dominic Raab and the Northern Ireland minister Shailesh Vara.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon reacted to the news, tweeting: "I just hope that Esther McVey takes the travesty that is Universal Credit out the door with her." Addressing MPs in the House of Commons this morning, Mrs May appeared to pay tribute to Ms McVey and Mr Raab. She said: "Delivering Brexit involves difficult choices for all of us. We do not agree on all those choices, but I respect their views." READ MORE: Do you back Theresa May's Brexit deal?

Reports earlier suggested Ms McVey was "in tears" after she was "shouted down" in a tense showdown with Mrs May. She was reportedly “emotional” and “aggressive towards the Prime Minister” as she argued against the deal. In her resignation letter this morning, Esther McVey said: "It has been an honour to serve in your government as Justice Minister, Housing Minister and Brexit Secretary. “I regret to say that following the Cabinet meeting yesterday on the Brexit deal I must resign.

“I understand why you have chosen to pursue the deal with the EU on the terms proposed, and I respect the different views held in good faith by all of our colleagues. “For my part I cannot support the proposed deal for two reasons. First I believe that the regulatory regime proposed for Northern Ireland presents a very real threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom. “Second I cannot support an indefinite backstop arrangement, where the EU holds a veto over our ability to exit. The terms of the backstop amount to a hybrid of the EU Customs Union and Single Market obligations. “No democratic nation has ever signed up to be bound by such an extensive regime, imposed externally without any democratic control over the laws to be applied, nor the ability to decide to exit the arrangement.

“That arrangement is now also taken at the starting point for negotiating the future economic partnership. If we accept that, it will severely prejudice the second phase of negotiations against the UK. “Above all, I cannot reconcile the terms of the proposed deal with the promises we made to the country in our manifesto at the last election. This is, at its heart, a matter of public trust. “I appreciate that you disagree with my judgement on these issues. I have weighed very carefully the alternative courses of action which the government could take, on which I have previously advised. Ultimately you deserve a Brexit Secretary who can make the case for the deal you are pursuing with conviction. "I am only sorry, in good conscience, that I cannot.

“My respect for you, and the fortitude you have shown in difficult times, remains undimmed. “There is no more important task for this Government than delivering on the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union. This is a matter of trust. It is about the future of our country and the integrity of our democracy. “The deal you put before the Cabinet yesterday does not honour the result of the referendum. Indeed it doesn’t meet the tests you set from the outset of your premiership. “Repeatedly you have said that we must regain control of our money, our borders and our laws and develop our own independent trade policy. </s> EMBATTLED UK prime minister Theresa May has had a turbulent day of high profile ministerial resignations and backlash against the deal.

EMBATTLED UK prime minister Theresa May has had a turbulent day of high profile ministerial resignations and backlash against the deal.

Theresa May has turbulent day of high-profile resignations and backlash

It is reported that Mrs May has offered the job of Brexit secretary to Michael Gove - his decision is believed by many to be key to the survival of the Tory leader.

Today letters to the 1922 Committee have been pouring in seeking a 'no confidence' vote in Mrs May - there must be 48 to trigger such a vote.

Meanwhile, European Council President Donald Tusk has signalled that he still hopes Brexit can be averted but said the EU is prepared if there is a "no-deal scenario".

Speaking as chaos continues in Westminster over the proposed Withdrawal Agreement wiht the UK, Mr Tusk said the EU "is prepared for a final deal with the United Kingdom in November."

He also told reporters in Brussels that; "We are also prepared for a no-deal scenario but of course we are best prepared for a no-Brexit scenario."

After a days of resignations among her ministers, British Prime Minister Theresa May is due to give a press conference at 5pm.

Earlier, the British Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and three other ministers resigned over Theresa May's Brexit deal, in a massive blow to her plans.

Mr Raab, who only took over in the summer after David Davis resigned in protest over the British Prime Minister's withdrawal strategy, said he "cannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EU".

His surprise departure on Thursday came amid a furious backlash from Brexit-backing Conservatives to the deal agreed by UK and EU negotiators four months ahead of the UK's scheduled withdrawal on March 29.

Hours earlier Shailesh Vara had quit as minister of state for Northern Ireland, saying Mrs May's agreement, "leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation".

Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has handed in his letter of no-confidence to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, saying Ms May's Brexit deal "has turned out to be worse than anticipated and fails to meet the promises given to the nation by the Prime Minister".

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Raab said the deal represented a "very real threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom" because of provisions for Northern Ireland.

He also said he could not accept "an indefinite backstop arrangement" for the Irish border.

He said: "No democratic nation has ever signed up to be bound by such an extensive regime, imposed externally without any democratic control over the laws to be applied, nor the ability to decide to exit the arrangement."

The work and pensions secretary Esther McVey has also stepped down on Thursday morning.

She said the Brexit deal “does not honour the result of the referendum”.

In a resignation letter posted on Twitter, Ms McVey cited concerns over the future of the Union and a lack of control over money, law, borders and trade policy under a deal she felt kept the UK too close to Brussels.

She wrote: "The British people have always been ahead of politicians on this issue, and it will be no good trying to pretend to them that this deal honours the result of the referendum when it is obvious to everyone that it doesn't.

"We have gone from no deal is better than a bad deal, to any deal is better than no deal.

"I cannot defend this, and I cannot vote for this deal. I could not look my constituents in the eye were I to do that.

"I therefore have no alternative but to resign from the Government."

Suella Braverman has also resigned as a Brexit minister, her office said.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan has resigned as a parliamentary private secretary in the Department for Education, saying she cannot support the Brexit deal after negotiations “built on the UK trying to appease the EU”.

Mr Raab added: "Above all, I cannot reconcile the terms of the proposed deal with the promises we made to the country in our manifesto at the last election.

"This is, at its heart, a matter of public trust."

Ms May is due to hold a press conference at 5pm.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney has said there may not be “a majority for any way forward in Westminster” as UK minsters resign over the Brexit deal.

Taking questions on the draft deal in the Dáil, Mr Coveney said it would “protect Ireland’s core interests now and into the future”.

He praised the work of Irish diplomats involved in the negotiations over the past two years, saying they did an “extraordinary job to build and maintain EU unity around many off the Irish vulnerabilities”.

And he said the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier had shown “extraordinary capacity to understand the detail” of the Irish concerns.

Asked by Fianna Fáil’s Darragh O’Brien about the instability in the UK government, Mr Coveney replied: “Of course there are challenges to selling any package in United Kingdom.

“Many people would say there isn’t a majority for any way forward in Westminister.”

But he added that British Prime Minister Theresa May has “shown a capacity to get things done in very difficult circumstances”.

Mr O’Brien questioned whether the Government had been too triumphalist in their public statements since the deal was published.

“The time for victory and celebration is when this draft agreement is ratified and satisfied by all,” he said, adding that “every statement being made in Ireland is being scrutinised”.

However, Mr Coveney rejected this claim. He argued that the Government had a duty to explain what was in the deal to the Irish people.

The Minister said he was giving “reassurance” to people who were “very sceptical that a deal could be done” to maintain open trade on this island.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Mrs May spoke by phone this morning, Independent.ie has learned.

It is understood Mr Varadkar offered the embattled PM his “support” amid a string of ministerial resignations in Westminster.

They pledged to “work together” on the future relationship between the UK and EU so that the Irish backstop “never needs to be invoked”.

Earlier, the Brexit deal that ensures no hard Border on this island was hailed as a major victory for Ireland.

While Mr Varadkar said Brexit is "something we regret", he insisted the best possible Withdrawal Agreement has been negotiated.

He said other EU members had taken on Irish concerns and helped protect the peace process, the common travel area and our economy.

"This is one of the better days in politics," he said.

Mr Varadkar praised Mrs May for being "true to her word" by ensuring there will be no hard Border.

Andrea Leadsom has insisted she has no plans to quit the Government and will support Theresa May in securing a Brexit deal.

The Commons Leader, who attends the UK Cabinet as part of her role, hit back after her SNP counterpart Pete Wishart joked she had upset his "Brexit resignation bingo coupon", adding: "I had her definitely down as a resigner."

Mrs Leadsom replied: "Normally I'm very happy to entertain (Mr Wishart's) banter but I think all he's done today is to demonstrate he's not very good at bingo."

She added: "I am staying in Government because there is more work to be done to get the Brexit that the Prime Minister wants to deliver to the people, and therefore I am determined to support her to do that.

"Now, him bantering about it and mocking it is all very well, but he doesn't suggest anything else and his party has form for ignoring the will of a referendum in Scotland that voted to stay in the United Kingdom.

"What are they doing sitting there? All they want to do is break up the United Kingdom, and against the will of Scottish fishers keep them in the Common Fisheries Policy. How much sense does that make?"

The pair's exchanges came at business questions and amid the backdrop of Cabinet resignations over Mrs May's draft Brexit withdrawal agreement.

However, there will now be major concerns that the ministerial resignations in London will be followed by more in the British Cabinet - meaning that any deal Brexit will once again be up in the air.

Representatives from the SDLP, Sinn Fein, Alliance and the Northern Ireland Green Party have arrived at the Department of the Taoiseach in Dublin for a meeting with Mr Varadkar to discuss the draft Brexit agreement.

SDLP leader Colm Eastwood said: "It will be a difficult few days for Theresa May but we need to focus on the positive and make sure the backstop is backed."

The resignations came as European Council president Donald Tusk announced an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders in Brussels on November 25, at which the withdrawal agreement and a political declaration on future relations will be finalised and formalised.

Westminster is braced for further resignations, amid widespread expectations that the British Prime Minister may face a challenge to her position from Conservative MPs submitting letters of no confidence in her leadership.

Mr Raab had been a surprise choice as Brexit Secretary when Mr Davis, along with foreign secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit minister Steve Baker, resigned in protest at Mrs May's Chequers plan in July.

As the UK's ministerial point man in negotiations he made repeated trips to Brussels for talks with EU negotiator Michel Barnier as he and civil servants tried to hammer out a workable withdrawal agreement.

The pound fell heavily against most major currencies after his resignation. Sterling dropped 1.1pc to 1.28 US dollars and was 1.2pc lower at 1.13 euros.

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Jon Trickett said the Government was "falling apart before our eyes as, for a second time, the Brexit Secretary has refused to back the Prime Minister's Brexit plan".

"This is the 20th minister to resign from Theresa May's Government in her two-year premiership," he said.

"Theresa May has no authority left and is clearly incapable of delivering a Brexit deal that commands even the support of her Cabinet, let alone Parliament and the people of our country."

Remain-supporting Tory MP Anna Soubry added on Twitter that Mr Raab's resignation "marks the end of PMs Withdrawal Agreement" and possibly her premiership.

Ms Soubry added: "No PM deserves to be so badly treated.

"Raab signed up to her Withdrawal Agreement allowing her to make her statement after Cabinet knowing he'd resign in time for the 9am News bulletins the next morning. Shameful."

Mrs May now faces a battle to get it through Parliament as pro-Leave Conservative MPs - as well as some Remainers - lined up to condemn the plan, accusing her of breaking promises and leaving the UK at the mercy of Brussels.

In a resignation statement, North-West Cambridgeshire MP Mr Vara - who was promoted by Mrs May as recently as July - said: "We are a proud nation and it is a say day when we are reduced to obeying rules made by other countries who have shown that they do not have our best interests at heart.

"We can and must do better than this. The people of the UK deserve better."

Mr Vara, a former Conservative vice chairman who has served as a whip and on the frontbenches for the bulk of his career since entering Parliament in 2005, backed Remain in the 2016 referendum.

In Brussels, Mr Tusk was handed a copy of the 585-page withdrawal agreement by EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier.

Ministers and ambassadors of the remaining 27 EU states will work to finalise by next Tuesday the political declaration on future relations with the UK, published in outline form on Wednesday, he said.

Welcoming the UK Cabinet's collective agreement to accept the withdrawal document, Mr Tusk said: "Of course, I do not share the Prime Minister's enthusiasm about Brexit as such.

"Since the very beginning, we have had no doubt that Brexit is a lose-lose situation and our negotiations are only about damage control."

And he sent a message to the British people: "As much as I am sad to see you leave, I will do everything to make this farewell the least painful possible, both for you and for us." </s> THE UK’S JUNIOR minister for Northern Ireland has this morning resigned over the proposed Brexit deal.

Shailesh Vara submitted his resignation this morning. Vara was appointed Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office on 23 July 2018, having previously served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State .

In his letter to Theresa May, Vara said he could not stand by a deal which will effectively keep the UK in the customs union.

His letter stated: “Given the past performance of the EU, there is every possibility that the UK-EU trade deal that we seek will take years to conclude. We will be locked in an Customs Arrangement indefinitely, bound by rules determined by the EU over which we have no say.

“Worse, we will not be free to leave the Customs Union unilaterally if we wish to do so. Northern Ireland in the meantime will be subject to a different relationship with the EU from the rest of the UK and while I agree there should be no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, the economic and constitutional integrity of the the United Kingdom must be respected.”

The resignation came just minutes after president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said that the EU will meet to finalise the Brexit deal with the UK on 25 November.

Speaking at an early morning press conference in Brussels, Tusk said that so long as “nothing extraordinary happens”, the EU Brexit summit will be held in 10 days time at 9.30am.



It emerged yesterday that UK Prime Minister Theresa May had secured Cabinet approval for the Brexit deal after being locked in hours of talks. </s> Dominic Raab has quit as Brexit Secretary in a huge blow to Theresa May's plans for the UK's departure from the EU.

In his letter to the Prime Minister, Mr Raab's said the deal represents a "very real threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom" because of provisions for Northern Ireland.

He's also refused to accept what he's called "an indefinite backstop arrangement" for the Irish border.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Esther McVey has also resigned from the Cabinet.

The Tatton MP wrote: "The British people have always been ahead of politicians on this issue, and it will be no good trying to pretend to them that this deal honours the result of the referendum when it is obvious to everyone that it doesn't.

"We have gone from no deal is better than a bad deal, to any deal is better than no deal.

"I cannot defend this, and I cannot vote for this deal. I could not look my constituents in the eye were I to do that.

"I therefore have no alternative but to resign from the Government."

It has been an honour to serve in your government as Justice Minister, Housing Minister and Brexit Secretary.

I regret to say that, following the Cabinet meeting yesterday on the Brexit deal. I must resign. I understand why you have chosen to pursue the deal with the EU on the terms proposed, and I respect the different views held in good faith by all of our colleagues.

For my part, I cannot support the proposed deal for two reasons. First I believe that the regulatory regime proposed for Northern Ireland presents a very real threat to the integrity of the United Kingdom.

Second, I cannot support an indefinite backstop arrangement, where the EU holds a veto over our ability to exit. The terms of the backstop amount to a hybrid of the EU Customs Union and Single Market obligations. No democratic nation has ever signed up to be bound by such an extensive regime, imposed externally without any democratic control over the laws to be applied, nor the ability to decide to exit the arrangement. That arrangement is now also taken as the starting point for negotiating the Future Economic Partnership. If we accept that, it will severely prejudice the second phase of negotiations against the UK.

Above all, I cannot reconcile the terms of the proposed deal with the promises we made to the country in our manifesto at the last election. This is, at its heart, a matter of public trust.

I appreciate that you disagree with my judgment on these issues. I have weighed very carefully the alternative courses of action which the government could take, on which I have previously advised. Ultimately, you deserve a Brexit Secretary who can make the case for the deal you are pursuing with conviction. I am only sorry, in good conscience, that I cannot.

My respect for you and the fortitude you have shown in difficult times, remains undimmed. </s> Amber Rudd is back in cabinet as the new work and pensions secretary after Esther McVey resigned yesterday, according to Downing Street.

Former home secretary Rudd is set to replace McVey after she walked out in protest over Theresa May’s Brexit agreement.

Downing Street said: ‘The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP to be Secretary of State for Work and Pensions’.

Rudd stepped down as home secretary in April over her handling of the Windrush generation scandal.

She had faced growing pressure to resign amid claims she misled parliament over targets for removing illegal migrants.

Mcvey quit in response to the EU withdrawal plan agreed by UK and EU negotiators.

In a resignation letter, McVey wrote: ‘The deal you put before the cabinet yesterday does not honour the result of the referendum.

‘Indeed, it doesn’t meet the tests you set from the outset of your premiership.’

She added: ‘It threatens the integrity of the United Kingdom, which as a unionist is a risk I cannot be party to.’

Rudd is the sixth work and pensions secretary.

This is a breaking new story… more to follow </s> When Theresa May delivered her statement in the dusk outside Downing Street on Wednesday night, she may have already known a storm was gathering. After the five-hour cabinet meeting, the Brexit secretary, Dominic Raab, had told the chief whip he would resign. Raab retreated to his office in No 9 Downing Street as May told the cameras that “the choices before us were difficult”.

Raab had told the chief whip, Julian Smith, at the end of the meeting that he was minded to go. Ministers had shared a glass of wine after the stormy discussion. It was later into the night that he spoke directly to the prime minister.

Early on Thursday morning, Raab phoned May to confirm his decision and then tweeted his letter. The dam was truly broken after Esther McVey, the work and pensions secretary, also resigned. DExEU’s Suella Braverman followed Raab out the door just before 10.30, tailed by two parliamentary private secretaries and a Tory vice-chair.

Downing Street officials hinted that resignations had been priced in. “We’re having to confront some very difficult issues and she doesn’t shy away from that,” one said. Asked if a new Brexit secretary was planned at all, a No 10 official shrugged and said “suspect so, yes”.

May arrived in the House of Commons flanked by two cabinet ministers said to be teetering on the edge of their own departures, Andrea Leadsom and Penny Mordaunt.

Though her tone was forthright as she addressed MPs, May’s ministers clearly had jitters. At one point, the chancellor, Philip Hammond, turned in horror as he saw all of the reporters rush out of the press gallery above the chamber.

That scene also spooked the Labour MP Mary Creagh, who tweeted that it seemed a “leadership coup” was imminent. In fact, journalists were heading to a scheduled briefing with the prime minister’s spokesman.

May’s replies grew more terse as the statement dragged into its second hour. The Labour MP Mike Gapes bluntly asked the prime minister if it was time for her to stand aside. “No,” she replied, to a half-hearted cheer.

Labour’s Chris Leslie asked Tory MPs to put up their hands if they supported the prime minister. Instead, Tory grandee Nicholas Soames flicked his fingers into a V in Leslie’s direction.

And then the rupture of her cabinet was followed by perhaps an even greater threat, not just to her deal but to her premiership. It began with a letter of no confidence from Jacob Rees-Mogg, the chair of the European Research Group, and one of her most influential critics.

May was still on her feet in the marathon Commons session when Rees-Mogg gave his letter to Graham Brady, the chair of the 1922 Committee, who keeps track of whether the threshold of 48 MPs has been reached in order to trigger a contest.

“When Jacob and Steve [Baker] go public, that’s a big deal,” one Eurosceptic MP said. “They have a lot of influence with people who have held back, on Jacob’s advice.”

Blinking at the mass of cameras in his neat double-breasted suit, Rees-Mogg seemed deeply affronted at the suggestion he was launching a coup. Everything was perfectly above board, he insisted.

He was sanguine about his chances of toppling the prime minister with his letter of no confidence. But allies said he would not have made his move without being confident of success.

Friends said Rees-Mogg had spent the night reading the details of the withdrawal agreement after the cabinet broke up and decided he was all-but-certain to submit his letter overnight. The announcement was made at a hastily-convened ERG meeting in a parliamentary committee room.

Afterwards, in a perfectly choreographed piece of theatre, cameras were alerted to where the backbencher would give his verdict, outside the St Stephen’s entrance of parliament – the same site where May was declared to have won the Tory leadership two-and-a-half years ago.

Banging and cheers from Tory Eurosceptics in the room signalled that news was imminent, and as Rees-Mogg made his way out of the room, reporters formed a straight-jacket around him, tiptoeing backwards down the stone steps and almost colliding with busts of former prime ministers.

“We’re getting into a bit of a bottleneck, like the negotiations,” Rees-Mogg joked as he headed outside, surrounded by the media scrum.

It was not a tsunami but it was a steady drip after Rees-Mogg showed his hand. Baker, the former Brexit minister, revealed he had sent his letter in October. “It is too late. We need a new leader,” he said.

The backbencher Simon Clarke, leaving the ERG meeting, said he had written to Brady – again. Clarke had withdrawn his first letter with great fanfare before the summer recess, but on Thursday re-submitted it.

The former Tory vice-chair Ben Bradley admitted that he too had sent a letter in October. “Since I resigned in July it’s often been frustrating that so many colleagues who share my view remain in government and keep quiet,” he said. “Honestly the only way we’re going to change it is if the people who disagree all speak up.”

Several sources said they believed 10 letters had been submitted that afternoon. “For a prime minister, what really matters is that MPs trust you and your word,” one Brexiter source said.

“That is why people are unhappy. They think things are hidden away in documents, or vague language is being used to cover up what is really going on. And they get found out.”

Yet other Tory colleagues were publicly angry at the displays of disloyalty. “It’s obscene, it’s pure ambition,” one said. The MP Simon Hart called the scene “an embarrassment”.

The foreign office minister Alistair Burt, a keen remain supporter, barely concealed his fury as he passed the room where the ERG meeting was held. “We are working our socks off and they are doing everything they can to detonate it,” he said.

It was not a day of complete disaster. Leadsom, a leading figure in Vote Leave, later confirmed she would not quit. Her resignation as leader of the House of Commons would have plunged government preparations for the vote on the deal into further chaos.

Allies said she was still wrestling with her decision and had not had her fears assuaged. She hoped, friends said, that there were still changes that could be made as the threat of a parliamentary defeat edged nearer.

Mordaunt’s position was less certain and the international development secretary went to Downing Street twice to press May to allow a free vote on the final deal, an idea even Brexiters said they believed was far-fetched.

Most mysterious was the absence of Michael Gove, the environment secretary. His allies were tight-lipped, though rumours swirled that he was mulling whether to accept the position of Brexit secretary – or to follow colleagues out of the door.

May called a rare press conference at Downing Street at 5pm, where instead of delivering anything new, doubled down on her determination to fight on.

There was a moment when a shockwave went round the room, as May opened with a reflection on the challenges and responsibilities of great public office. But it quickly evaporated when she moved on to the more familiar territory: defending her deal as the best on offer.

May, a cricket fan, was asked at what stage she would resign as captain of the team. She replied: “You might recall that one of my cricketing heroes was always Geoffrey Boycott and what do you know about Geoffrey Boycott? He stuck to it and he got the runs in the end.”

Afterwards, one Brexiter quipped that the prime minister was more like the knight in Monty Python, insisting she had “a flesh wound” when her limbs were missing.

Her critics have predicted that a leadership challenge would be confirmed within days. But the only man in the UK who knows just how close the prime minister was to the edge did not seem to be unduly concerned.

In the afternoon, a relaxed-looking Brady wandered through the courtyard of Portcullis House, which houses MPs’ offices, insisting that he had nothing momentous planned. </s> After the resignations of Dominic Raab and Esther McVey, Theresa May is looking to shore up her top team. Amber Rudd is back in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions after 201 days on the backbenches. Brexiteer out, Remainer in…

There have now been 14 work and pensions secretaries since the department was created in 2001, and a whopping six since March 2016.

In September Rudd came out to say a second referendum is preferable to a no deal Brexit. Cabinet could get choppy.
Minister of State for Northern Ireland Shailesh Vara, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union Dominic Raab, and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Esther McVey resign in protest of Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit plan.