A minister has quit the government in reaction to the Prime Minister’s decision to give MPs the option to delay Brexit .

Farming Minister George Eustice quit with a blast at the PM for giving into Remainers and offering to delay the UK’s exit.

He insists he will still support the Prime Minister’s deal but will fight any delay from the backbenches.

He is the 16th minister to resign over and the 24th who has quit since the 2017 election.

In a scathing attack on her change of plan, he said: "I fear that developments this week will lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country."

Earlier this week Theresa May gave told MPs she would allow a vote on delaying the exit date for a few months in order to stave off a rebellion from pro-Remain ministers.

Ironically, because Mr Eustice voted with the government on Wednesday night, he backed a proposal allowing MPs to vote on an extension – the exact element that has caused him to resign.

Claiming Mrs May had “been terribly undermined by those in Parliament who refuse to respect the referendum result”, he delivered a thinly-veiled rebuke: “What our country needs from all its political leaders at this critical juncture is courage, and we are about to find out whether Parliament has it.”

He added: “I will do what I can from the back benches to try to salvage this sorry situation and I hope that, when the moment comes, Parliament will not let our country down.”

Mr Eustice, 47, has been MP for Camborne and Redruth in Cornwall since May 2010, but first stood for elected office in 1999 for Ukip in the European elections.

He added: "I will do what I can from the back benches to try to salvage this sorry situation and I hope that, when the moment comes, Parliament will not let our country down."

Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron said: "It is odd that the Minster has resigned complaining about Brexit delays when his department has delayed new laws on agriculture and fisheries post-brexit.

"But this clearly shows the Conservative Government is still hopelessly divided and that Theresa May’s empty promises aren’t helping. That’s why we need to hand the decision back to the public, with an option to stay in the EU."

The former minister’s letter in full:

Dear Prime Minister,

It is with tremendous sadness that I have decided to resign from the government following the decision this week to allow the postponement of our exit from the EU. Since Parliament is now in direct control of events, I want to be free to participate in the critical debate that will take place in the weeks ahead.

It has been an honour to work alongside so many talented individuals at Defra over the past five years. Defra has phenomenal expertise and, more than any other government department, has embraced the opportunities posed by our exit from the EU. I have particularly welcomed the chance to craft two new Bills on farming and fisheries, which are the first for half a century, as we have prepared the ground to restore self-government in this country.

I will vote for your Withdrawal Agreement when it returns to the House and I very much hope that the Attorney General succeeds in securing final changes so that others might too. Although I campaigned to leave, I have always supported compromise to achieve a reconciliation in our country. Leaving the EU would represent an historic change and it is natural that some people will feel apprehensive. I have been open to the idea of using our existing membership of the EEA as an exit mechanism and I supported your approach outlined at Chequers when others did not. I have stuck with the government through a series of rather undignified retreats. However, I fear that developments this week will lead to a sequence of events culminating in the EU dictating the terms of any extension requested and the final humiliation of our country.

I appreciate that you have been terribly undermined by those in Parliament who refuse to respect the referendum result. You have shown tenacity and resilience over the past year. However, what our country needs from all its political leaders at this critical juncture is courage, and we are about to find out whether Parliament has it.

As a Defra Minister, I have enjoyed good relations with the European Commission and with Ministers from other member states. However, I do not believe that the Commission has behaved honourably during these negotiations. They have deliberately made progress slow and difficult. They have stated in terms that they will refuse to even hold substantive negotiations on a future partnership until after we leave. If the position of Parliament is now that we will refuse to leave without an agreement then we are somewhat stuck. This is uncomfortable for everyone, but we cannot negotiate a successful Brexit unless we are prepared to walk through the door.

We must therefore have the courage, if necessary, to reclaim our freedom first and talk afterwards. We must be ready to face down the European Union here and now. The absence of an agreement poses risks and costs for them too. We already know that in the event of "no deal" the EU will seek an informal transition period for nine months in many areas and settlement talks could continue within this window.

I will do what I can from the back benches to try to salvage this sorry situation and I hope that, when the moment comes, Parliament will not let our country down.

Kind regards,

George Eustice MP  

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