Dominic Raab has been sworn in as the new Brexit secretary following David Davis’ resignation. ‘The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Dominic Raab MP as Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union,’ a statement from Theresa May’s office said. Raab campaigned for Vote Leave and was previously a minister for housing.
Davis handed in his resignation after slamming Theresa May’s approach to Brexit and her plan to leave the European Union. Just days after crucial talks at Chequers, where May said her Cabinet backed her plans for Brexit, Davis said the PM’s policies could leave the UK in a ‘weak and inescapable’ negotiating position.
His resignation was warmly welcomed by hardline Tory Eurosceptics who have spoken out against May since the Cabinet agreed to a plan which would keep the UK closely tied to Brussels. The PM faces a tense meeting with Tory MPs and peers in Parliament today as she desperately tries to keep control amid bitter in-fighting. She had hoped the Cabinet agreement secured on Friday at Chequers would help her deliver the ‘right Brexit’ for the UK, with an offer to Brussels to share a ‘common rulebook’ on goods and form a new UK-EU free trade area.