David Davis, Britain's chief negotiator in talks over the country's planned departure from the European Union, has resigned from his post.

The move came 48 hours after Prime Minister Theresa May announced that her Cabinet had agreed on a controversial proposal to offer the EU a post-Brexit free trade deal for goods.
• Davis announced his resignation in a letter to May's office. He justified the decision on what he said was Britain's problematic Brexit policy, writing that it would leave the country "in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one."
• The government, he added, also risked making "the supposed control by Parliament illusory rather than real," handing over "large swathes of our economy to the EU," and "not returning control of our laws in any real

 sense."
• He ended the letter, writing that "the national interest requires a Secretary of State in my Department that is an enthusiastic believer in your approach, and not merely a reluctant conscript."
• May thanked Davis in a written reply to his letter, but wrote that she did not agree with his "characterization" of the government's Brexit policy. The proposal signed off on Friday would, she added, met the criteria for an acceptable post-Brexit relationship with the EU.
• Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that Steve Baker, a junior minister in Britain's Brexit Department, also resigned.

'Theresa May has no authority left'

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn suggested Theresa May should resign in response to Davis' resignation, writing on Twitter: "David Davis resigning at such a crucial time shows @Theresa_May has no authority left and is incapable of delivering Brexit."

Who is David Davis? The Conservative Party politician headed the Department for Exiting the European Union and acted as London's chief envoy in negotiations with Brussels that began in mid-2017. Davis was considered among the most ardent Brexit supporters in May's Cabinet and had reportedly threatened to resign multiple times before.

Brexiteer anger: The Cabinet agreement on a post-Brexit free trade deal was initially seen as a win for May. She has been fighting to keep her government united on a common Brexit strategy as negotiations enter their final phase in the run-up to Britain's departure in March 2019. But hardliners adamant that Britain should seek a clean break with the EU quickly railed against the proposal, arguing it would keep Britain too close to the bloc.

Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.</s>Davis’s late-night resignation undermined May’s already fragile government, which has lost several ministers in the past year over sexual misconduct allegations and other scandals. Davis was a strong pro-Brexit voice in a Cabinet divided between supporters of a clean break with the bloc and those who want to keep close ties with Britain’s biggest trading partner.

May’s office said a replacement for Davis would be announced Monday.

His departure could embolden Brexit-supporting Conservative lawmakers — who have long considered May too prone to compromise with the EU — to challenge her leadership.

The staunchly pro-Brexit Conservative lawmaker Andrea Jenkyns tweeted: “Fantastic news. Well done David Davis for having the principal and guts to resign.”

Jenkyns said Steve Baker, a junior minister in the Brexit department, had also quit. There was no immediate comment from Baker.

Less than nine months remain until Britain leaves the bloc on March 29, 2019, and the EU has warned Britain repeatedly that time is running out to seal a divorce deal.

On Friday, Davis and the rest of May’s fractious Cabinet finally agreed on a plan for future trade ties with the EU.

May is due to brief lawmakers Monday on the plan hammered out during a 12-hour meeting at Chequers, the prime minister’s country retreat. It seeks to keep the U.K. and the EU in a free-trade zone for goods, and commits Britain to maintaining the same rules as the bloc for goods and agricultural products.

Some Brexit-supporting lawmakers are angry at the proposals, saying they will keep Britain tethered to the bloc and unable to change its rules to strike new trade deals around the world.

In his resignation letter, Davis said the “‘common rule book’ policy hands control of large swathes of our economy to the EU and is certainly not returning control of our laws in any real sense.”

He said he was worried the government’s negotiating approach would “lead to further demands for concessions” from Brussels.

“It seems to me that the national interest requires a secretary of state in my department that is an enthusiastic believer in your approach, and not merely a reluctant conscript,” he wrote.

In a letter to Davis, May disagreed with his characterization of her plans, saying the deal she seeks “will undoubtedly mean the returning of powers from Brussels to the United Kingdom.”

Conservative lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg, a leader of the party’s “hard Brexit” faction, compared May’s plan to an egg so softly boiled that it “isn’t boiled at all.”

“A very soft Brexit means that we haven’t left, we are simply a rule-taker,” he said.

Some Brexiteers dream of replacing May with a staunch Brexiteer, such as Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who in the past has disagreed publicly with his boss.

Johnson has not commented publicly since Friday. But some senior pro-Brexit ministers have backed May’s plan. Environment Secretary Michael Gove said Sunday that it did not contain everything he wanted but “I’m a realist.”

“All those of us who believe that we want to execute a proper Brexit, and one that is the best deal for Britain, have an opportunity now to get behind the prime minister in order to negotiate that deal,” he told the BBC.</s>LONDON, July 9 — David Davis resigned as Brexit Secretary in what threatens to be a major blow to UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s authority, his office said yesterday.

His resignation comes just two days after May secured the backing of her cabinet — including Davis — for a plan to keep close ties to the European Union after leaving the bloc. Davis had disagreed with May’s plans for keeping EU rules for goods and adopting a close customs partnership with the other 27 member countries.

The BBC reported that at least one other minister will also be resigning, though no names were given.

As the minister responsible for the Brexit negotiations, Davis is a key voice in the debate in the UK. His departure has the potential to derail May’s government and even set in motion a chain of events that could lead to an attempt to oust her as prime minister.

His exit comes at a critical and highly sensitive time for May’s strategy. On Friday she achieved a rare consensus in a key cabinet meeting at her Chequers country house estate on the way forward for the negotiations with the EU.

Despite concerns from Brexit backers like Davis and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, they both agreed to support May’s proposal for a softer divorce than she originally planned.

It seemed that she had survived the storm. Yet, while reasons for Davis’s departure have yet officially emerged, it seems likely that he decided he could not accept the premier’s blueprint after all.

May will have a key meeting with members of her Tory party to discuss her plan in Parliament today. — Bloomberg</s>(Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP, File). FILE- In this June 6, 2018 file photo, Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis delivers a speech in London, on Britain's vision for the future security relationship with the EU. Briti...

LONDON (AP) - The Latest on Brexit (all times local):

Prime Minister Theresa May has defended her post-Brexit trade plan that sparked Cabinet resignations, saying it is the only way to avoid a hard border with Ireland.

May told the House of Commons on Monday that her program - which would allow the free movement of goods, but not services - is the "right Brexit " because it would make it possible to avoid checks at the border between the republic and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is part of the U.K.

Lawmakers howled as a beleaguered May paid tribute to two senior members of her Cabinet who resigned rather than accept her proposals.

May said: "What we are proposing is challenging for the EU. It requires them to think again, to look beyond the positions they have taken so far and to agree a new and fair balance of rights and obligations "

Prime Minister Theresa May has paid tribute to two key Cabinet ministers who resigned rather than accept her plan for Britain's departure from the European Union.

May told the House of Commons on Monday that Brexit Secretary David Davis and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson made important contributions to Britain, but did not agree with her about "the best way" of delivering Brexit.

She said: "We do not agree about the best way of delivering our shared commitment to honoring the result of the referendum" voters approved to leave the EU.

Davis resigned as Brexit secretary late Sunday, saying he could not support proposals to maintain close trade and regulatory ties with the EU. Johnson resigned Monday only moments before May spoke.

Top European Union officials say Brexit is becoming a mess for Europe following the resignations of the U.K.'s chief Brexit negotiator and foreign secretary.

Britain's Brexit secretary, David Davis quit late Sunday and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson submitted his resignation on Monday.

European Council President Donald Tusk said Monday that it is unfortunate that the whole "idea of Brexit has not left together with David Davis."

Tusk added: "The mess caused by Brexit is the biggest problem in the history of EU-UK relations and it is still very far from being resolved, with or without Mr. Davis."

Asked about his reaction to Johnson's resignation, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said sarcastically that "this clearly proves that at Chequers, there was unity in the cabinet."

Juncker's remarks were a reference to a 12-hour British Cabinet meeting at Prime Minister Theresa May's country residence on Friday that was supposed to have resolved internal disagreement over Brexit.

The British government says Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has resigned, amid a widening split in the Cabinet over Brexit.

Prime Minister Theresa May's office said May accepted the resignation on Monday and will announce a replacement soon.

A leader of the campaign to take Britain out of the European Union, Johnson was under pressure to act after the resignation of David Davis as Brexit secretary.

Davis quit late Sunday saying he could not support May's plans for close trade and regulatory ties with the bloc after the U.K. leaves the European Union next year.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has not arrived at an international meeting in London, fueling speculation that he plans to resign over differences with Prime Minister Theresa May on Brexit.

Johnson was due to host the Western Balkans Summit on Monday. But German Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth tweeted that by early afternoon "We're still waiting for our host..."

Johnson is scheduled to hold a news conference at the summit later.

A leader of the campaign to take Britain out of the European Union, Johnson is under pressure to act after the resignation of David Davis as Brexit secretary.

Davis quit late Sunday saying he could not support May's plans for close trade and regulatory ties with the bloc after the U.K. leaves the European Union next year.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's office insists the government's plans for leaving the European Union are on track despite the resignation of the top official in the Brexit department.

David Davis resigned as Brexit secretary late Sunday, saying he couldn't support proposals to maintain close trade and regulatory ties with the EU.

Davis was replaced Monday with Dominic Raab, a lawmaker who strongly supports Britain's EU exit.

Davis's resignation shattered a fragile peace in May's government, which is split between supporters of "hard" and "soft" Brexit. Britain is due to leave the EU in March.

May's official spokesman, James Slack, says "we need to move forward at pace in these negotiations, and that's what we are going to do."

He says "there is now a new secretary of state and we look forward to moving on."

The European Union says it will push on with Brexit talks despite the resignation of Britain's chief negotiator, and is ready to work with his replacement.

European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas says Monday that "we will continue to negotiate in good will, bona fide, with Prime Minister Theresa May and the UK government negotiators in order to reach a deal."

Asked whether the appointment of Dominic Raab would affect the negotiations, Schinas said it mattered for Britain but not necessarily the EU: "What matters for us is the negotiating framework that our 27 member states have set for us."

He said EU negotiators stand ready to work through the summer if needed to reach an agreement. Britain officially leaves the EU at midnight on March 29 next year.

The German government says it's confident the British government can continue to act on Brexit despite the resignation of the minister tasked with the job of negotiating with the European Union.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Rainer Breul said Monday that while Germany doesn't generally comment on foreign Cabinet reshuffles, "we have no doubt the British side remains capable of acting" on Brexit.

Britain's Brexit minister, David Davis, quit late Sunday, two days after Prime Minister Theresa May announced she had united her quarrelsome government behind a plan for a divorce deal with the EU.

Separately, German government spokeswoman Martina Fietz downplayed talk of discord on Brexit between Chancellor Angela Merkel and her top security official. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer had warned last week of security risks when Britain leaves the EU.

Britain's government has named former Housing Minister Dominic Raab to take up the post of senior official in charge of negotiating the country's exit from the European Union, after his predecessor resigned.

Prime Minister Theresa May's office announced the appointment in a Monday statement. Raab, a Brexit supporter, follows David Davis, who had accused May of undermining Brexit with her plan to keep close trade ties with the bloc.

Davis quit just two days after May announced she had finally united her quarrelsome government behind a plan for a divorce deal with the EU.

The European Parliament's chief Brexit official is urging Britain to look beyond the departure of its chief negotiator and move forward quickly to clinch a deal with the EU.

Guy Verhofstadt said that "it is in the interest of the both that we move the negotiations forward."

Verhofstadt hopes "the UK unites around a position to conclude a broad Association Agreement with the EU."

In a blow to the British government, Davis quit late Sunday, saying he could not support Prime Minister Theresa May's plan for close trade and regulatory ties with the EU after Brexit next year.

His resignation came just two days after May announced she had finally united her quarrelsome government behind a plan for a divorce deal with the EU.

Former Brexit Secretary David Davis says he won't seek to challenge Prime Minister Theresa May's leadership after resigning from her Cabinet, but that he will pressure her to toughen her position on Britain's departure from the European Union.

Davis says he resigned because he didn't feel he best suited to carry the divorce deal forward, telling the BBC Monday that he doesn't want his resignation to become a rallying cry for May's ouster. He says "I like Theresa May, I think she's a good prime minister."

But he says they had a difference of strategy and hoped the decision would send a signal to the EU not to push Britain any further in Brexit negotiations.

Davis's late-night resignation undermined May's already fragile government, which has lost several ministers this year.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Britain’s most senior official in charge of negotiating the country’s exit from the European Union resigned Sunday, accusing Prime Minister Theresa May of undermining Brexit with her plan to keep close trade ties with the bloc.

Brexit Secretary David Davis quit just two days after May announced she had finally united her quarrelsome government behind a plan for a divorce deal with the EU.

In a blow to the beleaguered prime minister, Davis told May in a letter that the government’s proposals for close trade and customs ties “will leave us in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one.”

Davis’s late-night resignation undermined May’s already fragile government, which has lost several ministers in the past year over sexual misconduct allegations and other scandals. Davis was a strong pro-Brexit voice in a Cabinet divided between supporters of a clean break with the bloc and those who want to keep close ties with Britain’s biggest trading partner.

May’s office said a replacement for Davis would be announced Monday.

His departure could embolden Brexit-supporting Conservative lawmakers – who have long considered May too prone to compromise with the EU – to challenge her leadership.

The staunchly pro-Brexit Conservative lawmaker Andrea Jenkyns tweeted: “Fantastic news. Well done David Davis for having the principal and guts to resign.”

Jenkyns said Steve Baker, a junior minister in the Brexit department, had also quit. There was no immediate comment from Baker.

Less than nine months remain until Britain leaves the bloc on March 29, 2019, and the EU has warned Britain repeatedly that time is running out to seal a divorce deal.

On Friday, Davis and the rest of May’s fractious Cabinet finally agreed on a plan for future trade ties with the EU.

May is due to brief lawmakers Monday on the plan hammered out during a 12-hour meeting at Chequers, the prime minister’s country retreat. It seeks to keep the U.K. and the EU in a free-trade zone for goods, and commits Britain to maintaining the same rules as the bloc for goods and agricultural products.

Some Brexit-supporting lawmakers are angry at the proposals, saying they will keep Britain tethered to the bloc and unable to change its rules to strike new trade deals around the world.

In his resignation letter, Davis said the “common rule book’ policy hands control of large swathes of our economy to the EU and is certainly not returning control of our laws in any real sense.”

He said he was worried the government’s negotiating approach would “lead to further demands for concessions” from Brussels.

“It seems to me that the national interest requires a secretary of state in my department that is an enthusiastic believer in your approach, and not merely a reluctant conscript,” he wrote.

In a letter to Davis, May disagreed with his characterization of her plans, saying the deal she seeks “will undoubtedly mean the returning of powers from Brussels to the United Kingdom.”

Conservative lawmaker Jacob Rees-Mogg, a leader of the party’s “hard Brexit” faction, compared May’s plan to an egg so softly boiled that it “isn’t boiled at all.”

“A very soft Brexit means that we haven’t left, we are simply a rule-taker,” he said.

Some Brexiteers dream of replacing May with a staunch Brexiteer, such as Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who in the past has disagreed publicly with his boss.

Johnson has not commented publicly since Friday. But some senior pro-Brexit ministers have backed May’s plan. Environment Secretary Michael Gove said Sunday that it did not contain everything he wanted but “I’m a realist.”

“All those of us who believe that we want to execute a proper Brexit, and one that is the best deal for Britain, have an opportunity now to get behind the prime minister in order to negotiate that deal,” he told the BBC.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App</s>These are external links and will open in a new window

The resignation of Brexit Secretary David Davis from the UK government on 9 July has prompted major French, German and Austrian newspapers to speculate about a deep political crisis, which may even bring down Theresa May's government.

"The snub could not be more forceful," centre-left Le Monde said.

"Two days after announcing triumphantly that she had managed to unite her government on the 'soft Brexit' while keeping close relations with the EU, Theresa May is disowned by the minister in charge of defending this position in Brussels," the newspaper added. It noted that Mrs May may face a no-confidence motion in parliament in the next few days.

According to Le Monde, Davis's move raises concerns of a resignation of "another heavyweight" in May's government - Boris Johnson.

For centre-right Le Figaro, Davis's resignation "sets off a political crisis with high risks". It recalled that Theresa May recently secured the cabinet's backing for her Brexit plan. According to the daily, Davis gave May 48 hours "to savour her apparent victory over the rebels" and then "defected in a theatrical move".

"David Davis swallowed quite a few bitter pills. This was the one that meant it's too much," Le Figaro said.

"The consequences of choosing a 'soft Brexit' by London were not long in coming," the business daily Les Echos said.

The left-wing newspaper Liberation said the resignation of Davis "confirms the feeling that die-hard Brexiteers have lost".

The popular German tabloid Bild said that "hardliner" Davis could not accept the UK remaining part of the customs union and single market. "Davis's resignation is seen as a setback for May's proposal for a 'true Brexit'," Bild said.

The left-wing daily Die Tageszeitung called the resignation a "major blow" to May, who is likely to face "further resistance from the Brexit-wing of her party". The departure of Davis "plunges the government into a new crisis at a wrong time", the paper added.

The centre-right daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said that "pressure is mounting" on Mrs May from her own party. It stressed that it will be "very difficult" for the prime minister to get support for her plans without Davis.

The daily Die Welt suggested that the resignation shows "how Britons are split on Brexit".

"May's government is facing a threat of collapse - possibly with the help of Boris Johnson. The EU exit is a toxic project whose poison has been seeping into society for two years," the paper said, noting that the Brexit effect "goes well beyond Britain's borders".

"In the week when the English national [football] team can write a new wonderful story, English politicians are writing their own new chapter," Die Welt said, adding that there will be no winners in the Brexit game.

Commenting on Davis's decision, the liberal daily Der Standart said: "Two days after British Prime Minister Theresa May swung into a more conciliatory EU exit route, one of the most prominent 'Brexiteers' in her cabinet reportedly resigned."

"His resignation leaves the already hopelessly divided political landscape in the kingdom in chaos," the paper noted.

The centre-right daily Die Presse said Davis's resignation is a "hard blow" to May. "She now has to reckon with further resistance from the Brexit wing of her party," it added.

"If more members of the government resign, this could bring serious distress for May. Even a fall of the prime minister seems no longer impossible," the paper said.

BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.</s>UK Prime Minister Theresa May is facing yet another crunch moment on Brexit, and whispers of mutiny are growing ever louder. Ministers are supposed to agree a blueprint on a customs union, but they're deeply divided. Lucy Fielder reports.

BRITAIN’S most senior official in charge of negotiating the country’s exit from the European Union resigned on Sunday, accusing Prime Minister Theresa May of undermining Brexit with her plan to keep close trade ties with the bloc.

Brexit Secretary David Davis quit just two days after Mrs May announced she had finally united her quarrelsome government behind a plan for a divorce deal with the EU.

In a jolt to both the British political landscape and the future of Brexit, Steve Baker, one of Mr Davis’ deputies, also walked.

The resignations illustrate a very public backlash against Mrs May as she tries to unite her party behind a plan to retain strong economic ties to the European Union even after leaving the bloc.

Mr Davis told Mrs May in a letter that the government’s proposals for close trade and customs ties “will leave us in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one”.

It’s understood Mr Davis was humiliated by Mrs May’s insistence last week that Cabinet sign up to a “watered down” Brexit plan developed outside his department.

His departure could see Mrs May’s government teeter closer to a general election.

Mr Davis’s late-night resignation undermined May’s already fragile government, which has lost several ministers in the past year over sexual misconduct allegations and other scandals.

Mr Davis was a strong pro-Brexit voice in a Cabinet divided between supporters of a clean break with the bloc and those who want to keep close ties with Britain’s biggest trading partner.

Mrs May’s office said a replacement for Mr Davis would be announced on Monday.

His departure could embolden Brexit-supporting Conservative politicians — who have long considered Mrs May too prone to compromise with the EU — to challenge her leadership.

The staunchly pro-Brexit Conservative politician Andrea Jenkyns tweeted: “Fantastic news. Well done David Davis for having the principle and guts to resign.” Jenkyns said Steve Baker, a junior minister in the Brexit department, had also quit. There was no immediate comment from Mr Baker.

Less than nine months remain until Britain leaves the bloc on March 29, 2019, and the EU has warned Britain repeatedly that time is running out to seal a divorce deal.

On Friday, Mr Davis and the rest of Mrs May’s fractious Cabinet finally agreed on a plan for future trade ties with the EU.

Mrs May is due to brief politicians on Monday on the plan hammered out during a 12-hour meeting at Chequers, the prime minister’s country retreat. It seeks to keep the UK and the EU in a free-trade zone for goods, and commits Britain to maintaining the same rules as the bloc for goods and agricultural products. Some Brexit-supporting politicians are angry at the proposals, saying they will keep Britain tethered to the bloc and unable to change its rules to strike new trade deals around the world.

In his resignation letter, Mr Davis said: “Common rule book policy hands control of large swathes of our economy to the EU and is certainly not returning control of our laws in any real sense.”

He said he was worried the government’s negotiating approach would “lead to further demands for concessions” from Brussels.

“It seems to me that the national interest requires a secretary of state in my department that is an enthusiastic believer in your approach, and not merely a reluctant conscript,” he wrote.

In a letter to Mr Davis, Mrs May disagreed with his characterisation of her plans, saying the deal she seeks “will undoubtedly mean the returning of powers from Brussels to the United Kingdom”.

Conservative politician Jacob Rees-Mogg, a leader of the party’s “hard Brexit” faction, compared Mrs May’s plan to an egg so softly boiled that it “isn’t boiled at all”.

“A very soft Brexit means that we haven’t left, we are simply a rule-taker,” he said.

Some Brexiteers dream of replacing Mrs May with a staunch Brexiteer, such as Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who in the past has disagreed publicly with his boss.

Mr Johnson has not commented publicly since Friday.</s>Sign up for one of our email newsletters.

LONDON — British media outlets say the most senior official in charge of negotiating Britain's exit from the European Union has quit Prime Minister Theresa May's government.

The Press Association news agency, the BBC and others say Brexit Secretary David Davis resigned Sunday, 48 hours after May announced that her divided government had at last agreed on a plan for ties with the EU after the United Kingdom leaves next year.

Davis's late-night resignation undermines May's fragile government. He has been a strong pro-Brexit voice in a Cabinet divided between supporters of a clean break with the bloc and those who want to keep close ties.

Brexit-backing lawmakers have been angered by May's plans, saying they will keep Britain too close to the EU and limit its ability to strike new trade deals.</s>(Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP, File). FILE- In this June 6, 2018 file photo, Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union David Davis delivers a speech in London, on Britain's vision for the future security relationship with the EU. Briti...

LONDON (AP) - The Latest on Brexit (all times local):

British Prime Minister Theresa May has named Jeremy Hunt to the job of foreign secretary after the resignation of Boris Johnson.

Hunt, who had been the health secretary, is considered one of May's most loyal ministers.

May's government was rocked Monday by the resignations of Johnson and Brexit Secretary David Davis. They quit amid divisions in the government over Brexit.

Johnson and Davis advocate a clean break with the European Union, known as "hard Brexit." Hunt, who backed the "remain" side in Britain's 2016 EU membership referendum, favors keeping close economic ties to the bloc after the U.K. leaves next year.

Now-former British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has slammed Prime Minister Theresa May in a resignation letter, accusing her of flying "white flags" of surrender in negotiations with the European Union.

Johnson, one of the most vocal and popular proponents of Britain's exit from the European Union, quit as Britain's top diplomat on Monday. His move came hours after Brexit Secretary David Davis also resigned, blowing open divisions over how to leave the EU that threaten to topple May's government.

Johnson said in his letter that May's plan to keep close economic ties with the bloc means the U.K. is heading for a "semi-Brexit" that would leave Britain with the "status of colony" within the EU.

He said: "The Brexit dream is dying, suffocated by needless self-doubt "

May's supporters worry that more ministers could resign, and pro-Brexit lawmakers from her Conservative Party could trigger a no-confidence vote in the prime minister.

The White House says President Donald Trump "continues to look forward to" his meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May this week despite the turmoil that Brexit is creating in her government.

May defended her plan for Britain's exit from the European Union after British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Brexit Secretary David Davis both resigned.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement Monday that "The President continues to look forward to his working visit with the Prime Minister on July 13, and further strengthening the U.S.-U.K. special relationship."

Trump will make his maiden voyage to the U.K. as president following a NATO summit in Brussels and before heading to Helsinki for a summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Prime Minister Theresa May has defended her post-Brexit trade plan that sparked Cabinet resignations, saying it is the only way to avoid a hard border with Ireland.

May told the House of Commons on Monday that her program - which would allow the free movement of goods, but not services - is the "right Brexit " because it would make it possible to avoid checks at the border between the republic and Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is part of the U.K.

Lawmakers howled as a beleaguered May paid tribute to two senior members of her Cabinet who resigned rather than accept her proposals.

May said: "What we are proposing is challenging for the EU. It requires them to think again, to look beyond the positions they have taken so far and to agree a new and fair balance of rights and obligations "

Prime Minister Theresa May has paid tribute to two key Cabinet ministers who resigned rather than accept her plan for Britain's departure from the European Union.

May told the House of Commons on Monday that Brexit Secretary David Davis and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson made important contributions to Britain, but did not agree with her about "the best way" of delivering Brexit.

She said: "We do not agree about the best way of delivering our shared commitment to honoring the result of the referendum" voters approved to leave the EU.

Davis resigned as Brexit secretary late Sunday, saying he could not support proposals to maintain close trade and regulatory ties with the EU. Johnson resigned Monday only moments before May spoke.

Top European Union officials say Brexit is becoming a mess for Europe following the resignations of the U.K.'s chief Brexit negotiator and foreign secretary.

Britain's Brexit secretary, David Davis quit late Sunday and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson submitted his resignation on Monday.

European Council President Donald Tusk said Monday that it is unfortunate that the whole "idea of Brexit has not left together with David Davis."

Tusk added: "The mess caused by Brexit is the biggest problem in the history of EU-UK relations and it is still very far from being resolved, with or without Mr. Davis."

Asked about his reaction to Johnson's resignation, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said sarcastically that "this clearly proves that at Chequers, there was unity in the cabinet."

Juncker's remarks were a reference to a 12-hour British Cabinet meeting at Prime Minister Theresa May's country residence on Friday that was supposed to have resolved internal disagreement over Brexit.

The British government says Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has resigned, amid a widening split in the Cabinet over Brexit.

Prime Minister Theresa May's office said May accepted the resignation on Monday and will announce a replacement soon.

A leader of the campaign to take Britain out of the European Union, Johnson was under pressure to act after the resignation of David Davis as Brexit secretary.

Davis quit late Sunday saying he could not support May's plans for close trade and regulatory ties with the bloc after the U.K. leaves the European Union next year.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has not arrived at an international meeting in London, fueling speculation that he plans to resign over differences with Prime Minister Theresa May on Brexit.

Johnson was due to host the Western Balkans Summit on Monday. But German Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth tweeted that by early afternoon "We're still waiting for our host..."

Johnson is scheduled to hold a news conference at the summit later.

A leader of the campaign to take Britain out of the European Union, Johnson is under pressure to act after the resignation of David Davis as Brexit secretary.

Davis quit late Sunday saying he could not support May's plans for close trade and regulatory ties with the bloc after the U.K. leaves the European Union next year.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's office insists the government's plans for leaving the European Union are on track despite the resignation of the top official in the Brexit department.

David Davis resigned as Brexit secretary late Sunday, saying he couldn't support proposals to maintain close trade and regulatory ties with the EU.

Davis was replaced Monday with Dominic Raab, a lawmaker who strongly supports Britain's EU exit.

Davis's resignation shattered a fragile peace in May's government, which is split between supporters of "hard" and "soft" Brexit. Britain is due to leave the EU in March.

May's official spokesman, James Slack, says "we need to move forward at pace in these negotiations, and that's what we are going to do."

He says "there is now a new secretary of state and we look forward to moving on."

The European Union says it will push on with Brexit talks despite the resignation of Britain's chief negotiator, and is ready to work with his replacement.

European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas says Monday that "we will continue to negotiate in good will, bona fide, with Prime Minister Theresa May and the UK government negotiators in order to reach a deal."

Asked whether the appointment of Dominic Raab would affect the negotiations, Schinas said it mattered for Britain but not necessarily the EU: "What matters for us is the negotiating framework that our 27 member states have set for us."

He said EU negotiators stand ready to work through the summer if needed to reach an agreement. Britain officially leaves the EU at midnight on March 29 next year.

The German government says it's confident the British government can continue to act on Brexit despite the resignation of the minister tasked with the job of negotiating with the European Union.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Rainer Breul said Monday that while Germany doesn't generally comment on foreign Cabinet reshuffles, "we have no doubt the British side remains capable of acting" on Brexit.

Britain's Brexit minister, David Davis, quit late Sunday, two days after Prime Minister Theresa May announced she had united her quarrelsome government behind a plan for a divorce deal with the EU.

Separately, German government spokeswoman Martina Fietz downplayed talk of discord on Brexit between Chancellor Angela Merkel and her top security official. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer had warned last week of security risks when Britain leaves the EU.

Britain's government has named former Housing Minister Dominic Raab to take up the post of senior official in charge of negotiating the country's exit from the European Union, after his predecessor resigned.

Prime Minister Theresa May's office announced the appointment in a Monday statement. Raab, a Brexit supporter, follows David Davis, who had accused May of undermining Brexit with her plan to keep close trade ties with the bloc.

Davis quit just two days after May announced she had finally united her quarrelsome government behind a plan for a divorce deal with the EU.

The European Parliament's chief Brexit official is urging Britain to look beyond the departure of its chief negotiator and move forward quickly to clinch a deal with the EU.

Guy Verhofstadt said that "it is in the interest of the both that we move the negotiations forward."

Verhofstadt hopes "the UK unites around a position to conclude a broad Association Agreement with the EU."

In a blow to the British government, Davis quit late Sunday, saying he could not support Prime Minister Theresa May's plan for close trade and regulatory ties with the EU after Brexit next year.

His resignation came just two days after May announced she had finally united her quarrelsome government behind a plan for a divorce deal with the EU.

Former Brexit Secretary David Davis says he won't seek to challenge Prime Minister Theresa May's leadership after resigning from her Cabinet, but that he will pressure her to toughen her position on Britain's departure from the European Union.

Davis says he resigned because he didn't feel he best suited to carry the divorce deal forward, telling the BBC Monday that he doesn't want his resignation to become a rallying cry for May's ouster. He says "I like Theresa May, I think she's a good prime minister."

But he says they had a difference of strategy and hoped the decision would send a signal to the EU not to push Britain any further in Brexit negotiations.

Davis's late-night resignation undermined May's already fragile government, which has lost several ministers this year.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption David Davis explains why he resigned

David Davis, who has been leading UK negotiations to leave the EU, has quit his role as Brexit Secretary

He told the BBC that he was no longer the best person to deliver the PM's Brexit plan - agreed by the cabinet on Friday - as he did not "believe" in it.

He said the "career-ending" decision was a personal one but he felt the UK was "giving away too much and too easily" to the EU in the negotiations.

Mrs May said she did not agree but thanked him for his work.

The resignation is a blow to Mrs May as she seeks to win over Eurosceptic MPs to her proposed Brexit vision, which would form the basis of the UK's position in on-going talks with the EU.

Dominic Raab, who campaigned for Leave during the UK's 2016 EU referendum, has been promoted from housing minister to take over from Mr Davis.

The UK is due to leave the European Union on 29 March 2019, but the two sides have yet to agree how trade will work between the UK and the EU afterwards.

There have been differences within the Conservative Party over how far the UK should prioritise the economy by compromising on issues such as leaving the remit of the European Court of Justice and ending free movement of people.

Mrs May's Conservative Party only has a majority in Parliament with the support in key votes of the 10 MPs from Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party, so any split raises questions about whether her plan could survive a Commons vote - and has also led to renewed questions about whether she will face a challenge to her position.

Image copyright Crown Copyright Image caption Mr Davis said he told the PM at Chequers that he was the "odd man out" in objecting to the plans

In a sign of how delicately positioned the numbers are on Brexit strategy it has emerged that the government has taken the unusual step of arranging a briefing for opposition Labour MPs on the detail of the Brexit plan agreed on Friday.

In his resignation letter, Mr Davis told Mrs May that "the current trend of policy and tactics" was making it "look less and less likely" that the UK would leave the customs union and single market.

He said he was "unpersuaded" that the government's negotiating approach "will not just lead to further demands for concessions" from Brussels.

Mr Davis, who was appointed Brexit Secretary in 2016, said: "The general direction of policy will leave us in at best a weak negotiating position, and possibly an inescapable one."

In her reply, Mrs May said: "I do not agree with your characterisation of the policy we agreed at cabinet on Friday."

She said she was "sorry" he was leaving but would "like to thank you warmly for everything you have done... to shape our departure from the EU".

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption In full: Davis interview with Kuenssberg

Mr Davis told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he had objected to Theresa May's plan at the Chequers meeting, telling cabinet colleagues at the outset that he was "the odd man out".

He said it was "not tenable" for him to stay in post and try to persuade Tory MPs to back the policy when he did not think it was "workable".

"The best person to do this is someone who really believes in it, not me."

He said he feared the EU would seek to further water down the UK's plans and his resignation would make it easier for the UK to resist attempts to extract further concessions.

Mr Davis told BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg that he had been compromising for two years and that the latest plan was "a compromise too far".

But Mr Davis insisted he continued to back Theresa May, saying that if he "wanted to bring her down", the time would have been after she failed to win last year's general election outright.

A leadership contest now would be "the wrong thing to do", adding: "I won't throw my hat into the ring."

Eurosceptic MP Steve Baker has also resigned. He played a leading role in the Brexit campaign in the run up to the 2016 referendum. He was promoted to the Department for Exiting the EU as a parliamentary under-secretary in June last year.

Conservative MP Peter Bone hailed Mr Davis's resignation as a "principled and brave decision", adding: "The PM's proposals for a Brexit in name only are not acceptable."

Labour Party chairman Ian Lavery said: "This is absolute chaos and Theresa May has no authority left."

'No choice but resignation'

By BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg

After many months of rumours that he would pull the plug, David Davis has actually quit as Brexit Secretary.

His unhappiness in government has been no secret for some time, but after the prime minister's Chequers agreement with cabinet ministers to pursue closer ties with the EU than he desired, he found his position untenable.

After a visit to Downing Street on Sunday he concluded that he had no choice but to walk.

The move, while not completely surprising, throws doubt on to how secure the government's Brexit strategy is.

Read Laura's full blog here

Mrs May is due to address MPs on Monday afternoon and is expected to tell MPs that the strategy agreed by the cabinet at Chequers on Friday is the "right Brexit" for Britain.

Brexiteer MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said it would be "very difficult" for Mrs May's plans to win the backing of MPs without Mr Davis.

He told BBC 5 Live: "These proposals will have to come to the House of Commons in legislation and the question is 'will they command support from Conservative MPs?'

"And I think without David Davis there, without his imprimatur, it will be very difficult for them to get the support of Conservative MPs and therefore the prime minister would be well advised to reconsider them."

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said she understands Mr Davis was "furious" after a meeting at No 10 earlier on Sunday and "concluded he could not stay in post".

The resignation came as people awaited the verdicts of senior figures from the Brexit side of the 2016 referendum. There has yet been no on the record comment from Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, while Environment Secretary Michael Gove told the BBC on Sunday he was urging Tory MPs to support Mrs May.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption 'Be generous or we'll walk away' - Gove's warning to EU

One of the leading pro-Remain Conservative MPs Anna Soubry did not refer directly to Mr Davis's resignation, but tweeted it was "not the time for egos, grandstanding and blind ideology".

The director-general of the CBI, Carolyn Fairbairn, said the resignation was "a blow", adding that business had welcomed the agreement of ministers on Friday.

Meanwhile, some Remain-supporting politicians said the resignation was evidence of the need for a second referendum.

Lord Adonis, a prominent backer of a second vote, tweeted: "People's Vote to put Brexit out of its misery a big step closer after DD's resignation. Now the Brexiteers holding Mrs May hostage are falling out, there isn't a majority for any withdrawal treaty in Parliament."

The Liberal Democrats called on people to sign a petition for a vote on the proposed deal, adding: "The resignation of David Davis is yet more evidence of the chaos of this Tory Brexit. You deserve the final say".

Nigel Farage congratulated Mr Davis for quitting and called for Mrs May to be replaced as prime minister, accusing her of being "duplicitous" and claiming her response "shows she is controlled by the civil service".
David Davis resigns as the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union amid disagreements with Prime Minister Theresa May over Brexit negotiations.