Ministerial aide quits her government role with customs union warning for Theresa May

A junior member of the government has resigned from her role with a warning to Theresa May not to sell out voters over plans to leave the customs union.

Andrea Jenkyns said she would quit to concentrate on helping deliver on “the promise” of Brexit.

While she said Ms May had her support she underlined the need to quit the customs union and have a clean break from the EU’s institutions that would leave the country “half in half out”

It comes as Tory Brexiteers warn that proposals mooted by Downing Street would keep the UK in arrangements too similar to the customs union, and as pro-EU Conservatives are demanding the prime minister seek similar relations with the EU after withdrawal.

But in a blog post outlining reasons for her departure, Ms Jenkyn’s, who has been parliamentary private secretary (PPS) at the ministry for housing, communities and local government, for just four months, said: “We want to see a new relationship with Europe, with a new model not enjoyed by other countries – nothing that leaves us half-in, half-out.

“And in order to achieve this, we need to leave the customs union.”

Ms Jenkyn’s also said she wished to dedicate more of her time to Parliament’s influential Exiting the European Union select committee, after a series of “unbalanced” reports produced by MPs.

She said: “This disproportion might not seem so unusual when you consider that I and my Brexit colleagues are overwhelmingly outnumbered in the House of Commons, however, the European Union Referendum Act 2015 was passed by 544-53 votes on its second reading on 9 June 2015, a ratio of six to one in the Commons.

“We as MPs decided to give the people a say on our relationship with the EU, we trusted them with a referendum, so we must deliver on this promise. It is our duty as representatives of the people and our responsibility as legislators to bring about Brexit and not upset the process. “

Her remarks follow that latest report from the committee that agreed that staying in the EU customs union into the next decade is likely to be the “only viable option”.

“Currently, there are 21 members on the Brexit committee, only seven of which voted to leave the EU,” Ms Jenkyn’s added. “It is my opinion that reports produced by the committee have been unbalanced in favour of us either remaining in the EU, the customs union or delaying our departure.

“I, therefore, feel I need to spend more of my time doing all I can to correct this imbalance and be a robust voice for the benefits of Brexit.”

Ms Jenkyns, who defeated Labour’s Ed Balls to win her Morley and Outwood seat in 2015, continued: “During my time on the committee, it has become clear that some of my colleagues are committed to upsetting the democratic decision of the British people.

“Over the past few months, this situation has caused me much frustration, but since this disparity is unlikely to change I feel it is my duty to give the necessary attention to this vitally important role.”

Although unpaid, PPS roles are often seen as the first rung on the ladder for MPs wanting ministerial positions.

Ms Jenkyns added: “Standing down as a PPS was a difficult decision for me, but I have decided that this is something that I need to do to be able to fully commit to my other parliamentary duties.

“I have an obligation to my constituents and the 17.4 million people around the country that decided to leave and take back control of our destiny.”