London _ Agencies
British Transport Minister Joe Johnson, the brother of former foreign minister Boris Johnson, resigned on Friday to protest the proposed accord to priist, which he termed a "fatal mistake" that calls for a new referendum on the country´s exit from the European Union.
Johnson, who was a supporter of staying in the European bloc in the 2016 referendum, is the youngest brother of former London Mayor Boris Johnson, one of the main faces of the campaign for Britain´s departure from the European Union.
His brother Boris resigned as foreign minister in July last July to protest Prime Minister Teresa May´s plan to maintain close trade relations with the European Union (EU).
"It has become clearer to me that the exit agreement is being finalized," the British Transport minister´s resignation statement said. It would be a fatal error. "
In his statement, Johnson said, "We must return to the people and call on him to confirm his decision to support the exit from the European Union, and if he decides to give him a chapter on the exit according to the Prime Minister´s plan or without it."
The prime Minister is reportedly on the verge of reaching an agreement regulating her country´s departure from the European Union with Britain´s imminent departure from the bloc on 29 March March next year.
The agreement provides for London to pay an exit bill of about 39 billion pounds ($50 billion), guarantee citizenship rights and establish a 21-month transition period, during which it will abide by European regulations.
The British and European negotiators will also seek an agreement to establish a long-term future relationship.
But in his resignation statement, Johnson said the deal would make Britain "economically weak and deprive it of the ability to modify the European regulations it has to abide by and lead to years of uncertainty in the business sector."
Johnson said the alternative option of leaving the EU without an agreement would "cause countless damage to our nation."
"Putting the nation in front of one of the two options has very bad repercussions, a rupture, and chaos is an unprecedented government failure since the Suez Canal crisis," Johnson said.
