MPs back Prime Minister after Davis resignation

Davis resigned late on Sunday evening, claiming he no longer believed in the government's Brexit plan.

It came after Friday's Chequer's summit, where Mrs May appeared to have finally united a divided cabinet behind her Brexit proposal.

The move appears to have re-opened divisions within Mrs May's cabinet and despite Mr Davis being swiftly replaced by Dominic Raab, there are suggestions that the resignation could spark a challenge to the Prime Minister's position.

However, county MPs, Philip Dunne, Lucy Allan, Mark Pritchard, Daniel Kawczynski and Montgomeryshire Conservative Glynn Davies have all urged their party colleagues to support the leader.

Mr Dunne, MP for Ludlow said: "I am not going to speculate on the leadership issue, I think the Prime Minister has crafted a delicate path to create a credible negotiating position and she needs to take that to the EU with a view to striking a deal that allows for a clean Brexit, but also an EU-UK free trade agreement, and she should be allowed to get on with it."

The former defence minister said he had been disappointed at Mr Davis' decision, but respected that it had been one of principle.

He said: "I think it is disappointing since it appeared on Friday evening that the cabinet was accepting that this deal was something they could all get behind.

"It is disappointing that he has decided to resign but I respect his decision."

Telford MP Lucy Allan, said the Prime Minister had displayed "resolve and pragmatism" in her Chequers proposal, but that she remained concerned the plan could be further diluted during the negotiations with the EU.

She said: "I want to see the government deliver Brexit.

"The Chequers’ proposal recognises the reality that there is no parliamentary majority for Brexit or for the Conservative Party. Accordingly, the PM is having to compromise. She is displaying resolve and pragmatism in trying to deliver on a near impossible task.

"My concern is that the Chequers’ proposal is an opening bid in negotiations and the EU may well try to erode the position agreed by the cabinet.

"Any attempt by the EU to whittle away at the current proposal would see a significant number of MPs conceding that no deal is better than a bad deal."

Ms Allan also hailed Dominic Raab's choice as Mr Davis' replacement as "an excellent appointment".

Wrekin MP, Mark Pritchard, said the government would continue its work.

He said: "I am disappointed David felt that he had to leave the government. I think he has been doing an excellent job. I have known him for many years and he is a principled man and felt he could not continue in the role, clearly.

"But I think the government will continue to do what it needs to do as far as Brexit is concerned, both domestically and internationally.

"It is not the first time a cabinet minister has felt they needed to resign from any government, be it Labour, Conservative or coalition. It is disappointing, I think perhaps David would have been perhaps better to stay in the government and work with the Prime Minister on the deal the government hopes to get with the EU."

Glyn Davies, MP for Montgomeryshire, said anyone considering a leadership challenge should think again.

He said: "I think anyone who is thinking about a potential leadership challenge should go and buy themselves a coffee and think about new ways of supporting the prime minister.

"David Davis has resigned and been replaced by a highly competent MP, Dominic Raab. I have known Dominic for quite a while and he should have been in a leading cabinet position a long time ago

"The real message is that in parties, as in most of life no one is irreplaceable and when one minister walks out someone replaces them and in a week it will just be a quiz question.

"There is a huge amount of excitement but with anything very serious where opinion is divided in a party and the country a resignation is not surprising at all."

Shrewsbury & Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski said he had sympathy with the Prime Minister over the difficulties she faces in uniting different views on Brexit.

He said: "Now that the secretary of state has resigned, clearly there will be more scrutiny on the deal.

"I am listening to what the Prime Minister will say and I have a lot of sympathy with her. She is trying to get a deal that will pass through Parliament. But there are people in Labour and the Liberal Democrats who wish to damage the sort of Brexit that many of my constituents have voted for."