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| Stephen Phillips quits as MP as friends say he labelled Tories Ukip-lite | Stephen Phillips quits as MP as friends say he labelled Tories Ukip-lite |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A Conservative MP who has resigned after criticising Theresa May’s handling of the Brexit process has told friends that the Tory party has become “Ukip-lite”. | A Conservative MP who has resigned after criticising Theresa May’s handling of the Brexit process has told friends that the Tory party has become “Ukip-lite”. |
| Stephen Phillips, who voted for Britain to leave the EU, blamed “significant policy differences” between himself and the government for his decision to quit as MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, in Lincolnshire. | Stephen Phillips, who voted for Britain to leave the EU, blamed “significant policy differences” between himself and the government for his decision to quit as MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham, in Lincolnshire. |
| A friend of Phillips said: “It’s about values. The values of this government are not his values. They’ve lurched to the right and become Ukip-lite. He is not.” | A friend of Phillips said: “It’s about values. The values of this government are not his values. They’ve lurched to the right and become Ukip-lite. He is not.” |
| The friend added that two of the key issues were “their failure to honour their promises on child refugees [and] the decimation of international aid to the poorest and most vulnerable in the world”. | The friend added that two of the key issues were “their failure to honour their promises on child refugees [and] the decimation of international aid to the poorest and most vulnerable in the world”. |
| “Brexit is part of it, because they think they can do what the hell they like without asking parliament. But it’s only a small part of it. It’s the fact that he is not a Conservative in this mould,” the friend added. | “Brexit is part of it, because they think they can do what the hell they like without asking parliament. But it’s only a small part of it. It’s the fact that he is not a Conservative in this mould,” the friend added. |
| Phillips said it had been an honour to serve for six years, but added: “It has become clear to me over the last few months that my growing and very significant policy differences with the current government mean that I am unable properly to represent the people who elected me. | Phillips said it had been an honour to serve for six years, but added: “It has become clear to me over the last few months that my growing and very significant policy differences with the current government mean that I am unable properly to represent the people who elected me. |
| “This decision has been a difficult one and I hope that everyone will respect the fact that I have tried to act in the best interests of all of my constituents.” | “This decision has been a difficult one and I hope that everyone will respect the fact that I have tried to act in the best interests of all of my constituents.” |
| Shortly after the announcement, the outgoing MP appeared to have made his parliamentary website and Facebook page unavailable to view. | Shortly after the announcement, the outgoing MP appeared to have made his parliamentary website and Facebook page unavailable to view. |
| Phillips recently told the Guardian he was angry about the way the government was handling Brexit. He accused it of being intent on negotiating “without any regard to the House of Commons” in a way that was “fundamentally undemocratic, unconstitutional and cuts across the rights and privileges of the legislature”. | Phillips recently told the Guardian he was angry about the way the government was handling Brexit. He accused it of being intent on negotiating “without any regard to the House of Commons” in a way that was “fundamentally undemocratic, unconstitutional and cuts across the rights and privileges of the legislature”. |
| The prime minister had already lost one Conservative MP when Zac Goldsmith resigned in protest at a decision to allow the expansion of Heathrow airport. His decision triggered a byelection in Richmond Park, south-west London. | The prime minister had already lost one Conservative MP when Zac Goldsmith resigned in protest at a decision to allow the expansion of Heathrow airport. His decision triggered a byelection in Richmond Park, south-west London. |
| There will now be a second byelection, in Phillips’s safe Conservative seat in the east Midlands, where he secured a 24,000 majority in 2015. The constituency is in the council area of North Kesteven, where 62% of voters backed leaving the EU. | There will now be a second byelection, in Phillips’s safe Conservative seat in the east Midlands, where he secured a 24,000 majority in 2015. The constituency is in the council area of North Kesteven, where 62% of voters backed leaving the EU. |
| When asked if Phillips’ resignation had come out of a blue sky, sources at No 10 said “yes”, adding that they had not met. | |
| Friends of Phillips said it would be “a lie” to pretend that his resignation was a surprise, adding that he had informed Downing Street on Wednesday, before the high court ruling. “The PM has known since Wednesday; and she has known it would be this morning,” the friend said. “It is true that he and the PM have not met. But that is because he turned down repeated and panicked requests by the whips for a meeting,” the friend said. | |
| Phillips entered parliament in 2010 with a majority of just under 20,000. In May 2013, he threatened to leave the party if David Cameron backed down on his promise to hold an EU referendum, and he voted to leave on 23 June. | |
| But by October, Phillips was strongly objecting to the handling of Brexit, saying: “I and many others did not exercise our vote in the referendum so as to restore the sovereignty of this parliament only to see what we regarded as the tyranny of the European Union replaced by that of a government that apparently wishes to ignore the views of the house on the most important issue facing the nation.” | But by October, Phillips was strongly objecting to the handling of Brexit, saying: “I and many others did not exercise our vote in the referendum so as to restore the sovereignty of this parliament only to see what we regarded as the tyranny of the European Union replaced by that of a government that apparently wishes to ignore the views of the house on the most important issue facing the nation.” |
| A Conservative party spokesman said: “Stephen Phillips has been a valuable member of parliament since 2010 and we are sorry that he has chosen to step down. We thank him for his hard work and we wish him every success in the future.” | A Conservative party spokesman said: “Stephen Phillips has been a valuable member of parliament since 2010 and we are sorry that he has chosen to step down. We thank him for his hard work and we wish him every success in the future.” |
| The chairman of Phillips’ local Conservative association, George Clark, said the constituency party was disappointed at his resignation and backed the prime minister. | The chairman of Phillips’ local Conservative association, George Clark, said the constituency party was disappointed at his resignation and backed the prime minister. |
| In a letter to Phillips, he wrote: “Like 60% of people in North and South Kesteven, you backed a leave vote in that referendum, and we are all pleased to have a strong new prime minister in Theresa May who is committed to delivering its result – and forging a strong, new, positive role for the United Kingdom on the world stage as we leave the EU.” | In a letter to Phillips, he wrote: “Like 60% of people in North and South Kesteven, you backed a leave vote in that referendum, and we are all pleased to have a strong new prime minister in Theresa May who is committed to delivering its result – and forging a strong, new, positive role for the United Kingdom on the world stage as we leave the EU.” |