Tomorrow, Parliament will vote on the wrecking amendment that is Cooper-Letwin. Make no mistake, the sole intention of its creators is to block Brexit. They must not succeed. It would leave a poisonous constitutional legacy and will break the solemn commitments made in the 2017 Conservative manifesto.
Across the globe the United Kingdom is at the forefront for championing the principles of democracy. Underpinned by the rule of law, with Magna Carta having been sealed more than 800 years ago at Runnymede, our country has led the way in telling leaders of other countries that they should respect the views of the people whom they govern.
I voted to remain in the EU referendum, but I believe the largest ever public mandate should be respected. Parliament should deliver what the people wanted and that is to leave the European Union. In so doing, it is important that we get the very best deal possible.
It’s Wednesday and I have been considering what to do about the draft Withdrawal Agreement for some time now. Although it has not yet been made public, the rumours are that the UK will be locked into an EU Customs Arrangement with no say on the rules that will govern it and there will be no definite end date.
My decision to resign as a government minister yesterday was not an easy one. And given that, during the referendum, I had decided that on balance it was better to remain in the EU, my reason for resigning – that we would not be a sovereign nation if the draft Withdrawal Agreement was accepted – has surprised some.