Sam Gyimah, the universities and science minister, has resigned in protest at the Government’s “naive” Brexit plan, saying that any deal we strike with Brussels will be “EU first”.

Becoming the seventh member of the Government to quit since Theresa May unveiled the draft Withdrawal Agreement, Mr Gyimah says the plan was “not in the British national interest” and that voting for it would “set ourselves up for failure” by surrendering “our voice, our vote and our veto”.

The Conservative MP, who campaigned for Remain, says he will vote against the plan in Parliament and that Mrs May should not rule out holding a second referendum

Announcing his departure in The Daily Telegraph on Saturday, Mr Gyimah cites the EU’s continued wrangling over the Galileo satellite project as the deciding factor in his resignation.

Downing Street confirmed that his letter had been received and said there would be a response "in due course".

On Friday night the Prime Minister said the UK was pulling out of the programme and may now abandon attempts to recoup the £1.2 billion Britain has already spent on the project.