Esther McVey has quit as Work and Pensions Secretary over Theresa May’s Brexit plan, marking another blow to the prime minister.

Ms McVey became the second minister to resign from the cabinet in response to the EU withdrawal plan agreed by UK and EU negotiators.

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

Esther McVey quit on Thursday morning (Picture: Getty)

‘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.’

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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.



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.

The Work and Pensions Secretary posted her resignation letter on Twitter (Picture: PA)

‘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.’

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The position of Work and Pensions Secretary is now vacant during the rollout of the Government’s controversial Universal Credit plan.

Earlier on Thursday morning, Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab stepped down, saying he could not support the withdrawal plan ‘in good conscience’.

Shailesh Vara, minister for Northern Ireland, also quit his post over the draft deal.

There has been a furious backlash from Brexit-backing Tories to the deal agreed 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.

Mrs May 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.

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