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Two Conservative Party vice-chairs quit over May’s Brexit plan

Ben Bradley and Maria Caulfield, formerly Conservative Party vice chairs, quit their roles on Tuesday in protest at British Prime Minister Theresa May's plans for Brexit. (file photo)

Two other Tory MPs have resigned from their posts, joining a growing list of ruling Conservative Party members defying British Prime Minister Theresa May's plans for leaving the European Union.

Conservative Party vice-chairs Ben Bradley and Maria Caulfield announced their resignation on Tuesday afternoon, warning the premier that her strategy for a close trading relationship with the bloc in post-Brexit era would not capitalize on the opportunities that Brexit could provide.

“I admit that I voted to Remain in that ballot. What has swayed me over the last two years to fully back the Brexit vision is the immense opportunities that are available from global trade, and for the ability for Britain to be an outward looking nation in control of our own destiny once again,” Bradley wrote in his resignation letter.

“I fear that this agreement at Chequers damages those opportunities; that being tied to EU regulations, and the EU tying our hands when seeking to make new trade agreements, will be the worst of all worlds if we do not deliver Brexit in spirit as well as in name, then we are handing Jeremy Corbyn the keys to Number 10,” he added.

On July 6, the Brutish prime minister won initial support from her cabinet for the 12-point Brexit plan, which came about following an emergency meeting at her Chequers country residence.

Caulfield warned that the results of the Brexit proposal agreed by the cabinet would be a loss of support for the Conservative Party and "Prime Minister Corbyn [Labour Party leader.]"

“The policy may assuage vested interests, but the voters will find out and their representatives will be found out. This policy will be bad for our country and bad for the party,” She noted.

The news comes a day after British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and the Brexit Secretary David Davis stepped down over May's plan for Brexit, which include remaining closely aligned to EU rules on manufactured goods.

May has faced a backlash over the plan from Brexit hardliners in her Conservative Party who say it gives too many concessions to the EU.

Johnson wrote in his resignation letter that the Brexit "dream is dying" and that Britain was headed for the "status of colony" of the EU under May's leadership.

In Britain’s 2016 referendum, 52 percent, or 17.4 million people, voted to leave the EU while 48 percent, or 16 million, voted to stay.

May insists Britain will leave the EU as planned on March 2019 and there will be no rerun of the Brexit referendum.


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