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Conservative MP Mark Field to stand down over Brexit disagreement | Conservative MP Mark Field to stand down over Brexit disagreement |
(about 11 hours later) | |
A Conservative MP has said he will stand down at the next election due to disagreements over Brexit. | A Conservative MP has said he will stand down at the next election due to disagreements over Brexit. |
Mark Field said his beliefs "stand at odds with the current administration's impatient approach to getting Brexit done". | |
He added he would prefer the UK to remain "in or very closely aligned to the EU" - but would "naturally support" Tory PM Boris Johnson's deal. | |
In June he was sacked as a minister after grabbing a Greenpeace activist. | In June he was sacked as a minister after grabbing a Greenpeace activist. |
In a statement on his website, the Cities of London and Westminster MP said: "It is increasingly clear that divisions over Brexit and our future relationship with the EU-27 will dominate and define domestic politics for many years to come." | |
He said his preference for ruling out a no-deal Brexit and his support for revoking Article 50 in order to restart the two-year clock and give negotiations more time put him at odds with Boris Johnson's government. | He said his preference for ruling out a no-deal Brexit and his support for revoking Article 50 in order to restart the two-year clock and give negotiations more time put him at odds with Boris Johnson's government. |
"Yet even if the current proposed deal passes - and naturally I shall support it - we must be clear what lies ahead will not be plain sailing," he added. | "Yet even if the current proposed deal passes - and naturally I shall support it - we must be clear what lies ahead will not be plain sailing," he added. |
He cited disagreements with the handling of Brexit as his reason for stepping down but added: "I have no desire to become a disaffected, dissenting voice from the backbenches, undermining a government under whose colours I have been elected." | He cited disagreements with the handling of Brexit as his reason for stepping down but added: "I have no desire to become a disaffected, dissenting voice from the backbenches, undermining a government under whose colours I have been elected." |
He said speculation about an imminent general election "has forced me to reach the very difficult decision not to offer myself as your candidate". | He said speculation about an imminent general election "has forced me to reach the very difficult decision not to offer myself as your candidate". |
Mr Field was elected in 2001. He was suspended as the Foreign Office minister after grabbing an activist at a black-tie dinner in the City of London during a speech being given by then-Chancellor Philip Hammond. | Mr Field was elected in 2001. He was suspended as the Foreign Office minister after grabbing an activist at a black-tie dinner in the City of London during a speech being given by then-Chancellor Philip Hammond. |
He was sacked from the role when Boris Johnson entered office and a Whitehall investigation over the matter was later dropped. | He was sacked from the role when Boris Johnson entered office and a Whitehall investigation over the matter was later dropped. |