Boris Johnson warns 'Brexit dream is dying' in scathing resignation letter

Ex-foreign secretary says the PM's new Brexit plan could reduce Britain to a 'colony' of the EU

Boris Johnson has warned the "Brexit dream is dying" in an explosive resignation letter, where he told Theresa May that her plans could mean Britain becomes a "colony" of the EU.

The leading Brexiteer resigned as foreign secretary on Monday in protest over Ms May's Brexit strategy, his decision coming a matter of hours after his Eurosceptic colleague David Davis, the Brexit secretary, also quit the cabinet.

In his resignation letter to the prime minister, Mr Johnson said: "On Friday, I acknowledged that my side of the argument were too few to prevail and congratulated you on at least reaching a Cabinet decision on the way forward.

"As I said then, the government now has a song to sing.

"The trouble is that I have practised the words over the weekend and find that they stick in the throat."

Both Mr Davis and Mr Johnson had backed Ms May's new blueprint for Brexit at a crunch summit at Chequers on Friday, when the prime minister thought she had managed to unite her warring ministers on the way forward.

But any hope of peace was shattered within the first 48 hours, when both men decided to walk rather be forced to back her plan under collective responsibility rules, where ministers are required to toe the government line.

In his letter, Mr Johnson told the prime minister that Brexiteers' dreams for an outward-looking Britain outside Europe were being "suffocated by needless self-doubt" and negotiators were being sent in with "white flags fluttering".

He went on: "The British government has spent decades arguing against this or that EU directive, on the grounds that it was too burdensome or ill-thought out.

"We are now in the ludicrous position of asserting that we must accept huge amounts of precisely such EU law, without changing an iota, because it is essential for our economic health - and when we no longer have any ability to influence these laws as they are made.

"In that respect we are truly headed for the status of colony - and many will struggle to see the economic or political advantages of that particular arrangement."

Mr Johnson broke with convention by releasing his own resignation letter, rather than waiting for it to be published alongside the prime minister's response, as is the usual practice.

Earlier, a Downing Street spokesman said: “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.”

His shock departure was the third in less than 24 hours, after Mr Davis and junior Brexit minister Steve Baker decided to walk out.

Former housing minister Dominic Raab will replace Mr Davis at the head of the Department for Exiting the European Union (DexEU), while Tory backbencher Chris Heaton-Harris will fill in for Mr Baker.

Mr Johnson's successor was expected to be announced later on Monday evening.