By Ben Kerrigan-
The British government’s infrastructure adviser has quit his role, describing Brexit as a “populist and nationalist spasm”.
Lord Adonis indicated that the British government was irresponsible in not persuading the public to stay in Europe. He said:
“If Brexit happens, taking us back into Europe will become the mission of our children’s generation, who will marvel at your acts of destruction,” he said.
“A responsible government would be leading the British people to stay in Europe while also tackling, with massive vigour, the social and economic problems within Britain which contributed to the Brexit vote.”
Lord Adonis said he planned to oppose “relentlessly” the government’s EU (Withdrawal) Bill in the House of Lords. He went further to state that Prime Minister Theresa May was “pursuing a course fraught with danger” over the UK’s EU departure.
Lord Adonis was transport secretary under Gordon Brown between 2009 and 2010, has chaired the National Infrastructure Commission since 2015.
Lord Adonis sparked fury earlier this year when he compared Brexit to the appeasement of the Nazis in the 1930s. He has also repeatedly called for last year’s referendum vote to be reversed.
In his resignation letter, he accused Mrs May of “allying with UKIP and the Tory hard right to wrench Britain out of the key economic and political institutions of modern Europe”, saying the UK was “hurtling towards the EU’s emergency exit with no credible plan for the future of British trade and European co-operation”.
OPPOSE
Lord Adonis said he planned to oppose “relentlessly” the government’s EU (Withdrawal) Bill in the House of Lords.
As well as Brexit, he said the recent decision to end the East Coast rail franchise three years early, would also have forced him to quit, describing it as a bailout costing hundreds of millions of pounds.
OVERDUE
MP Iain Duncan Smith said the departure of Lord Adonis was “long overdue”.
He added: “It’s a bit rich for him to pontificate on what he calls populism, but what most would refer to as democracy when he himself has never been elected by a public vote. He has instead relied on preferment from others.”
Duncan Smith said the Lib Dems would work with Lord Adonis “in fighting to end the hard Brexit that the government is recklessly pursuing”. The announcement is a blow for the image of the government which has been struggling to cope with the challenges of handling Brexit terms and conditions from EU chiefs since the negotiations began.
Britain faces an uphill struggle in agreeing on terms with EU chiefs, but the government is determined to make negotiations successful. It will necessary to establish good trade relations with the EU.