May accepts Brexit minister Davis’s resignation

LONDON, July 09 (Agencies): British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday accepted the resignation of her Brexit minister David Davis in a letter.

"I would like to thank you warmly for everything you have done over the past two years as Secretary of State to shape our departure from the EU," she said.

Meanwhile, the British Prime Minister pledged on Monday to pursue a newly-agreed strategy to quit the European Union, in a challenge to those who may want to follow her former Brexit minister and quit in protest at what he called her "dangerous" plans.

The late-night departure of David Davis has raised the stakes for May, who hailed the hard-won agreement with her deeply divided cabinet of ministers on Friday to keep the closest possible trading ties with the EU.

But her spokesman signaled on Monday she would not back down over the "business friendly" agreement, saying May would now focus on moving the Brexit negotiations forward - a step EU officials and businesses have long called for.

Davis, who campaigned for Brexit in Britain's 2016 referendum, said he had resigned because the cabinet deal had given "too much away, too easily" to EU negotiators, who, he feared, would simply ask for more.

Sterling rose, as traders bet Davis's resignation would not imperil May and instead focused on the newly-announced deal that markets believe makes a "soft Brexit" more likely.

Many eurosceptics have expressed anger over the agreed negotiating stance, calling it a betrayal of her promise for a clean break with the bloc that has raised the prospect that some could try to unseat her.