THE SNP has called for Theresa May to accept her Withdrawal Agreement is “dead in the water” as yet another UK Government minister has resigned over the proposed deal.
The former minister for universities and science, Sam Gyimah, announced his resignation late on Friday night citing his opposition to May’s Withdrawal Agreement as the deciding factor. He is the 10th minister to resign since Chequers in July.
In response the SNP has called on the Prime Minister to give assurances that MPs will have a say in what happens if her deal is voted down in the House of Commons on December 11.
READ MORE: What happens after the Brexit vote in the Commons?
SNP spokesperson on Europe and Foreign Affairs Stephen Gethins MP, pictured below, said: “Theresa May’s Government continues to crumble before our eyes and the latest resignation marks the seventh Government minister to go as a direct result of the Withdrawal Agreement confirming without doubt that the Prime Minister’s deal is dead in the water.
“When it comes to a vote in the Commons, SNP MPs will join with others across the House to reject Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement.
“The Prime Minister knows her deal doesn’t have the support of Parliament; what is on offer is unacceptable for Scotland and the UK as a whole.
“Parliament will not be bullied into a May deal or no-deal vote. May must now give assurances that MPs will have a say in what happens when the deal is inevitably voted down.”
READ MORE: Scottish parties unite to oppose May’s deal and no-deal options on Brexit
On resigning, Gyimah said Britain was giving up “our voice, our veto and our vote” in Europe. He urged the Prime Minister not to rule out a second referendum if – as many at Westminster expect – she is defeated in the crucial Commons vote.
Senior ministers continued to argue that while the agreement was not perfect, it was the best that could be achieved.
However, with scores of Tory MPs on both Leave and Remain sides of the party now publicly opposed to the deal, it is claimed Gyimah’s departure highlights the scale of the task facing May if she is to avoid a potentially crippling defeat in the Commons.
Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme yesterday, Gyimah said: “We have given up our voice, our veto and our vote. Our interests will be hammered because we will have no leverage.
“My worry is the British public will be sleepwalking into a situation where we will wake up and find out that we are no longer equal partners with the countries in Europe.
“The democratic deficit and the loss of sovereignty that will result in that situation is one the British public, rightly, will never accept.”
“There is a blocking minority in the House of Commons for almost every possible option which means that letting the people decide, now that we know more, might be the most sensible path for both Leavers and Remainers.”
Labour Party chairman Ian Lavery added: “May’s Government continues to fall apart in front of our eyes.”
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