This morning Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab resigned saying he "cannot in good conscience support" the UK Brexit agreement as proposed by the Prime Minister and agreed with her cabinet.
This puts significant doubts in the Brexit process and has pushed sterling back towards recent lows.
Theresa May, after a five hour meeting, secured cabinet backing on Wednesday afternoon for the Brexit agreement.
Some of May’s ministers had said they were not happy with the deal, leading to prescient expectations that some may resign.
Later, the work and pensions secretary, Esther McVey, became the second senior minister to quit the cabinet, following the Brexit secretary, Dominic Raab, out of the door and throwing Theresa May’s government into turmoil.
Raab is the second Brexit secretary May has lost in a matter of months. Raab took over the job from David Davis who resigned in July in protest at May’s course of action.
With the Brexit secretary unable to support a deal, it poses serious questions over whether the deal could get through parliament. There is talk of a no-confidence vote in the Prime minister.
Brexit commentator Sue Fletcher looked at the situation from an expatriate viewpoint and commented this morning, that “waking up this morning was a bit like déjà vu as the political landscape in Westminster seems as febrile as it was on the morning after the referendum. So, what has changed apart from Brexiters and Remainers now having a common enemy in the Withdrawal Bill?
“From my perspective, looking at Brits in Portugal and the affects of Brexit, I would say that nothing has changed. From what I have managed to read so far of the Withdrawal Bill, which is 585 pages of small print: HERE
“Citizens’ Rights look to be the same as they were in the March 2018 draft Withdrawal Bill. We shall retain all our current EU Citizen’s rights in our host country, until the day we die but there is no onward movement permitted, to allow us to move to another EU country, except as third country nationals, unless we make that move before Brexit day.
“I have hesitated to mention the transition period, which takes us up to the end of 2020 as EU citizens, because given the number of resignations so far in Government this morning, the Withdrawal Bill may never see the light of day. If the Bill isn’t ratified then we’re once again looking at 30th March next year as day one of Brexit.
“The British Embassy is arranging town hall meetings around Portugal to explain Brexit, but their advice to everyone is to get legal as soon as possible, if you aren’t already.
“In Portugal we are lucky to have access to the Portuguese NHS if we have residency and that should remain in perpetuity as EU citizens under the Withdrawal Bill. However, in the absence of an agreement, offering healthcare to us will be at the discretion of the Portuguese government. Yesterday saw the second reading of the ‘Healthcare (International Arrangements) Bill’ in the House of Commons. For those of you with an hour or so to spare the footage of the arguments made in favour of passing this Bill, is worth watching. We pensioners save the Exchequer a lot of money!
Here’s the link and times:
https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/99ceea9c-63a3-45d5-9b9b-019c7f9603ed
Start time: 13.52 Finish time: 15.23
“If you are resident and receive a UK state pension, you are entitled to an S1 form, which allows the UK to pay for your healthcare here. It’s free and an excellent form of insurance should the Portuguese government alter its own rules. Click HERE
“Driving license issues have yet to be agreed, so I can only assume that the current rules apply. You must register your UK licence with IMT to continue to use it Portugal, but that has been the law for several years. If we Brexit in March keep reading the Algarve Daily News for updates.”
EU Citizens' group, the3million has reacted with anger and disappointment after the Brexit negotiators failed to deliver their promise to agree a deal that would allow people to carry on living their lives in exactly the same manner as before Brexit.
Despite good progress at the early stage of the negotiations, the talks stalled when the focus switched to the Irish border, with crucial issues such as freedom of movement for British citizens in Europe and lifelong rights to return remaining unsolved in the agreement presented by Theresa May last night.
Key Concerns That Have not Been Met: British in Europe and losing free movement, which our members rely on for work and family.
- 3.6 million EU citizens living in the UK have to pay to apply to stay in their home, will undergo systematic criminality checks and can lose the new status if family or work obligations mean they have to leave the country for five years.
Chair of the3million Nicolas Hatton said, “the3million feels betrayed by the Brexit negotiators. Despite early progress in the negotiations, over three million EU citizens in the UK, including 700,000 EU children, are now facing a lifelong limbo under the Withdrawal Agreement. We are still bargaining chips, as the negotiators will soon discuss the future relationship, with our lives still in the balance. As a reminder, the Withdrawal Agreement does not protect our existing rights, and shamefully creates more insecurity by allowing the Home Office to pick and choose the EU citizens they want to keep.”
Jane Golding, Co-Chair of British in Europe said, “We were told in March that citizens’ rights were a done deal and that discussions on this would not be re-opened. However it is clear from the text that some changes have in fact been made, meaning that it is unacceptable and upsetting that free movement – a lifeline for many of us - has been excluded when both sides knew it was critical for us.
“Brexit Secretaries come and Brexit Secretaries go. But unlike Dominic Raab, our members don't have the luxury of walking away from this mess. His resignation only adds to the uncertainty that millions of people have been experiencing for two years. It is now up to the European Parliament, not only to walk the talk on its red lines – free movement in our case – but to put pressure on all sides to ring-fence the agreement on citizens’ rights so that 4.6 million people can sleep at night now whatever happens on Brexit."
Theresa May was met with a degree of impolite derision in Parliament this morning as she presented her Brexit proposal.
When Theresa May headed to parliament to defend a Brexit agreement which had already lead to the resignations of several key members of her government, including the man responsible for helping negotiate it, she wouldn't have expected an easy ride.
As she delivered her opening lines, she was interrupted several times, facing incredulity as she explained her view of the deal.
May pressed on with her address, before facing hostile questions from both sides of the debate.
Opposition to the Brexit deal was in expressed in the overwhelming majority of statements delivered by MPs after the prime minister's speech.
