Theresa May's Brexit deal a '˜betrayal' of referendum result says Lewes MP Maria Caulfield

Maria Caulfield said the overwhelming view from her constituents from both the leave and remain sides is the withdrawal agreement published last night ‘is a disastrous deal for the country’.

She said she would be voting against it, adding: “We will neither be in the EU nor an independent nation. It’s a betrayal of the referendum and of our manifesto.”

Ms Caulfield, who has represented Lewes since 2015, resigned as a vice-chairman of the Conservative Party over the Brexit plan agreed at Chequers in July.

At the time she argued it did not ‘fully embrace the opportunities that Brexit can provide’.

Writing in The Times today, she said: “There is a worry that the possible deal will prevent us from taking back control of anything -— we would be abandoning control of our laws and our borders, and paying £39 billion for the privilege.”

Earlier today Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey both resigned from the Government.

A number of Tory MPs have also written letters of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee.

If he receives 48 such letters it would trigger a vote of no-confidence in Mrs May and a leadership contest.