Theresa May's Brexit plan is a deal 'in name only', says Sam Gyimah after quitting as minister

Theresa May’s Brexit plan is a “deal in name only”, says the latest minister to quit the Government over the issue.

Sam Gyimah has resigned as Universities and Science Minister, saying Britain was giving up “our voice, our veto and our vote” in Europe and would get “hammered” in the next stage of the talks on future relations with the EU.

He is the seventh minister and ministerial aide to resign from the Government since Mrs May unveiled the draft Withdrawal Agreement less than three weeks ago.

Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Mr Gyimah – who backed Remain in the referendum – said: “Looking at the deal in detail, we don’t actually have deal. We have a deal in name only.

“We have given up our voice, our veto and our vote. Our interests will be hammered because we will have no leverage.”

He added: “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.

“We are pure supplicants and rule takers. The democratic deficit and the loss of sovereignty that will result in that situation is one the British public, rightly, will never accept.”

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He urged the Prime Minister not to rule out a second referendum if she is defeated in the crucial Commons vote on the Withdrawal Agreement on December.

Mrs May is currently in Argentina for the G20 summit, but has announced that she is giving up on efforts to get access to the EU’s Galileo satellite navigation system, confirming that the UK will instead aim to build its own Global Navigation Satellite System, at a cost estimated by experts to be £3-£5 billion.

Mr Gyimah said the situation showed how the EU is likely to approach the rest of the negotiations.

“What has happened with Galileo is a foretaste of the brutal negotiations we will go through that will weaken our national interest, make us poorer, less secure,” he said.