Britain's Brexit minister Dominic Raab quits over PM Theresa May's deal

LONDON - Britain's Brexit minister Dominic Raab resigned on Thursday (Nov 15) in protest at Prime Minister Theresa May's deal for leaving the European Union.

Mrs May won the backing of her senior ministers for a draft EU divorce deal on Wednesday (Nov 14), but media reports of the five-hour meeting were clear her team were deeply divided over the proposals.

"I regret to say that, following the Cabinet meeting yesterday on the Brexit deal, I must resign," he said in a statement on Twitter.

Mr Raab said Mrs May's plan threatened the integrity of the United Kingdom and he could not support an indefinite backstop arrangement where the EU held a veto over Britain's ability to exit.

"No democratic nation has ever signed up to be bound by such an extensive regime, imposed externally without any democratic control over the laws to be applied, nor the ability to decide to exit the arrangement," he said in his resignation letter.

Mr Raab said that taking that arrangement as the starting point for negotiating Britain's future relationship with the EU would "severely prejudice the second phase of negotiations against the UK".

The 44-year-old was appointed to the role of Brexit minister in July this year following the resignation of his predecessor David Davis, who also quit in protest at Mrs May's Brexit strategy.