UK: Boris Johnson resigns as foreign secretary

By Muhammad Mussa

LONDON

Boris Johnson has resigned as Britain’s secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs, making him the third senior minister to resign from Theresa May’s government in less than 24 hours.

“This afternoon, the prime minister accepted the resignation of Boris Johnson as foreign secretary. His replacement will be announced shortly. The prime minister thanks Boris for his work,” a Downing Street spokesman said.

At a Cabinet summit last week Johnson had disagreed with May’s “third vision” for a “soft” Brexit and accused other ministers who backed the deal as selling out the nation’s interests.

Johnson’s resignation follows the resignation of David Davis, the Brexit secretary, and his deputy, Steve Baker, and will deepen the crisis that has engulfed May’s Cabinet.

The foreign secretary is an ardent euroskeptic and has been pushing for a hard Brexit -- a term that symbolizes a clean break by the U.K. from the EU and no alignment to the socioeconomic bloc in any form.

"Politicians come and go but the problems they have created for people remain," European Council President Donald Tusk said on Twitter, referring to Brexit, under which Britain is set to leave the European Union in March 2019, but the sides have agreed on principle on a transition period expected to last around two years.

"I can only regret that the idea of #Brexit has not left with Davis and Johnson. But ... who knows?" Tusk asked.

By Muhammad Mussa

LONDON

At a Cabinet summit last week Johnson had disagreed with May’s “third vision” for a “soft” Brexit and accused other ministers who backed the deal as selling out the nation’s interests.

Johnson’s resignation follows the resignation of David Davis, the Brexit secretary, and his deputy, Steve Baker, and will deepen the crisis that has engulfed May’s Cabinet.

"I can only regret that the idea of #Brexit has not left with Davis and Johnson. But ... who knows?" Tusk asked.