Britain's Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Boris Johnson arrives at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, July 3, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - Former British foreign minister Boris Johnson warned on Monday that the United Kingdom will end up like a colony to the European Union after the government announced plans for a close trading relationship with the bloc after Brexit next year.

Johnson quit on Monday over Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan for Brexit, which include remaining closely aligned to EU rules on manufactured goods.

“We are truly headed for the status of a colony - and many will struggle to see the economic or political advantage of that particular arrangement,” Johnson said in a resignation statement, seen by the political website Guido Fawkes.