Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has quit the Cabinet and Conservative Party saying she cannot “stand by” while “loyal moderate Conservatives are expelled”.
In her resignation letter, she said she no longer believed leaving the EU with a deal was the government’s “main objective”.
She described the sacking of 21 Tory MPs on Tuesday as an “assault on decency and democracy”.
Johnson removed the whip from two former chancellors and Winston Churchill’s grandson after they voted to give Opposition MPs control of the order paper and start the process of blocking a no-deal Brexit.
Rudd says: “I have resigned from Cabinet and surrendered the Conservative Whip,” the Hastings and Rye MP tweeted on Saturday.
“I cannot stand by as good, loyal moderate Conservatives are expelled.
“I have spoken to the PM and my Association Chairman to explain.
“I remain committed to the One Nation values that drew me into politics.”
She told The Sunday Times that the exclusion of the moderate Tory rebels had indicated to her that the party “no longer had a place for people who had different views” on the EU.
“I can’t stand by that,” she said.
“So as well as resigning from cabinet, I have decided to surrender the Conservative whip and to join them.”
Devastating week for Boris
Her resignation comes at the end of a devastating week for Boris Johnson.
I have resigned from Cabinet and surrendered the Conservative Whip.
I cannot stand by as good, loyal moderate Conservatives are expelled.
I have spoken to the PM and my Association Chairman to explain.
I remain committed to the One Nation values that drew me into politics. pic.twitter.com/kYmZHbLMES
— Amber Rudd MP (@AmberRuddHR) September 7, 2019
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