DWP Minister Amber Rudd Quits Environment Minister Therese Coffey Takes Her Place

ANOTHER DWP MINISTER'S RESIGNATION - Amber Rudd has resigned from her cabinet post in Boris Johnson's government. Here is the full text of her letter to the prime minister.According to the BBC the work and pensions secretary told the BBC there were no "formal negotiations" taking place with the EU, just "conversations".

Ms Rudd said up to 90 per cent of government time was spent preparing for an "inferior" no-deal option.

Chancellor Sajid Javid said he was "saddened" by the resignation.

Downing Street has announced that Environment Minister Therese Coffey will replace Ms Rudd as work and pensions secretary.

Image: The new work and pension minister, Therese Coffey. 

The new DWP minister has: 

• Consistently voted for reducing housing benefit for social tenants deemed to have excess bedrooms (which Labour describe as the "bedroom tax").
• Consistently voted against raising welfare benefits at least in line with prices.
• Consistently voted against paying higher benefits over longer periods for those unable to work due to illness or disability.
• Consistently voted for making local councils responsible for helping those in financial need afford their council tax and reducing the amount spent on such support.
• Consistently voted for a reduction in spending on welfare benefits.
• Almost always voted against spending public money to create guaranteed jobs for young people who have spent a long time unemployed.
• Almost always voted for reducing the rate of corporation tax.

This is Minister Therese Coffey's bio:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thérèse_Coffey

Coffey's decision to author a paper for the Free Enterprise Group recommending pensioners should be forced to pay National Insurance provoked a backlash among older constituents. She took money for supporting the gamining industry in parliament. She denied that she had been  "influenced in her considerations on matters of related policy by any hospitality received". 

Amber Rudds' resignation letter said:

"It is with great sadness that I am resigning as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Minister for Women and Equalities.

It has been an honour to serve in a department that supports millions of people and can be such a force for good. I would like to pay tribute to the thousands of people who work for the DWP across the country. They are committed public servants and I am proud of the work that we have done together over the last 10 months to create a more compassionate welfare system.

I would also like to thank you and the Chancellor of the Exchequer for your support in the recent Spending Review. I am so pleased that you committed to spend millions more supporting the most vulnerable in society, and I hope that the Government will stay committed to going further at the next fiscal event, building on the work the department has done.

This has been a difficult decision. I joined your Cabinet in good faith; accepting that 'no deal' had to be on the table, because it was the means by which we would have the best chance of achieving a new deal to leave on October 31.

However, I no longer believe leaving with a deal is the Government's main objective.

The Government is expending a lot of energy to prepare for 'no deal' but I have not seen the same level of intensity go into our talks with the European Union, who have asked us to present alternative arrangements to the Irish backstop.

The updates I have been grateful to receive from your office have not, regretfully, provided me with the reassurances I sought.

I must also address the assault on decency and democracy that took place last week when you sacked 21 talented, loyal One Nation Conservatives.

This short-sighted culling of my colleagues has stripped the party of broad-minded and dedicated Conservative MPs I cannot support this act of political vandalism.

Therefore, it is with regret that I am also surrendering the Conservative whip.

Britain's body politic is under attack from both sides of the ideological debate. I will now play whatever role I can to help return it to a better place.

I have been lucky to have had extraordinary support from my Conservative Association since I was adopted as their candidate in 2006. Three times they helped elect me as their MP, keeping Labour at bay through nail-biting campaigns.

I remain a proud conservative and will continue to champion the values of fairness and compassion, and to support my constituents of Hastings and Rye.

Yours Sincerely,

Amber Rudd"

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