Another minister resigns from Conservative party over Brexit delay

Another Tory MP has resigned the Conservative whip, citing the government's handling of the Brexit negotiations.

Brexit minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: "After much contemplation, I have decided to leave Theresa May's government. I'm grateful to the PM for giving me the opportunity to serve the UK and I will continue to represent my constituents as the MP for Daventry."

After much contemplation, I have decided to leave Theresa May's Government. I'm grateful to the PM for giving me the opportunity to serve the UK and I will continue to represent my constituents as the MP for Daventry. pic.twitter.com/sHkVhwJ7bb

— Chris Heaton-Harris MP (@chhcalling) April 3, 2019

Heaton-Harris said that while he accepted May's determination to leave the EU with a negotiated deal, he felt the UK should have left the EU on 29 March.

"I truly believe we should have honoured the result of the 2016 referendum and left on that date," he said. "Indeed every time we seek an extension to this process we diminish faith on our political system and the good people, from all political parties, who serve within it. I simply cannot support any further extension to Article 50 and this obviously means I can't stay in government."

The move follows that of Nigel Adams, who also resigned the whip this morning after the Prime Minister said she would work with Jeremy Corbyn to break the Brexit deadlock.

“I and many others agreed with your previous position that no deal is better than a bad deal,” he said in his letter of resignation.

“It now seems that you and your cabinet have decided that a deal – cooked up with Marxist who has never once in his political life, put British interests first – is better than no deal.”