Sir Alan Duncan has quit as Foreign Office minister before Boris Johnson’s expected election as Conservative leader, saying it is “tragic” that the government has been dominated by the “dark cloud of Brexit”.
In his resignation letter to the prime minister Sir Alan said that Britain could have been the “dominant intellectual and political force” throughout the world were it not for Brexit.
He also paid tribute to Theresa May, saying that she “deserved better” and had displayed “faultless dignity and an unstinting sense of duty”.
Sir Alan is the first of what is expected to be several ministers who will quit between now and Wednesday, when Mr Johnson is predicted to become prime minister.
Philip Hammond, the chancellor, and David Gauke, the justice secretary, have said that they would quit before Mr Johnson takes office rather than be sacked.
Sir Alan said: “The UK does so much good in the world. It is tragic that just when we could have been the dominant intellectual and political force throughout Europe, and beyond, we have had to spend every day working beneath the dark cloud of Brexit.
“On a heartfelt person note, I have known you and Philip for over 40 years, throughout which you have both displayed faultless dignity and an unstinting sense of duty.
“I am only sorry that your three years as prime minister have been brought to an end. You deserved better, but please take lasting comfort from the knowledge that your self-esteem can, and will forever, far exceed your critics.”
He told the prime minister that he was “deeply grateful” to her for appointing him as foreign office minister. He said: “I was pleased to build a strong relationship with Turkey in the immediate aftermath of the coup attempt. I have reset our relationship with Argentina and established additional flights to the Falklands; have put the UK in the forefront of international cooperation on Venezuela; have negotiated the eviction of Julian Assange from the Ecuador embassy, and then relaunched our relations with Ecuador itself.
“I have played my part in handling our vexed relationship with Russia, and in helping ensure last year’s western Balkans summit in London was such a success. Perhaps most fulfilling has been the steady nurturing of UK engagement in Central Asia, where a personal focus on Uzbekistan’s reform path helped lead to the release of a raft of political prisoners and the admission to the country of the BBC, The Economist and Reuters.”
He said he had been disappointed efforts to secure an agreement on the future of Cyprus had failed and that he was “deeply upset” that attempts to secure the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe had been unsuccessful. He wrote: “I remain deeply upset that some fruitful discussions I had initiated about the possible release of Nazanin Ratcliffe were brought to such an abrupt halt.
“The Foreign Office deserves far more recognition (and resources!) for the excellent work it does for our country, and I salute all who work in it with such integrity.”
The letter in full
Dear prime minister,It is customary for all ministers to stand down on the departure of a prime minister, and I am writing to resign now in anticipation of the change on Wednesday. I am doing so a couple of days early in order to be free to express my views in advance of you relinquishing office.
Despite playing an active role in your leadership campaign I had not sought further ministerial office, but remain deeply grateful to you for recalling me to the colours three years ago.
I have served with two very different foreign secretaries, holding responsibility for 77 countries across all of the Americas, Europe, Russia, Turkey and Central Asia.
I was pleased to build a strong relationship with Turkey in the immediate aftermath of the coup attempt. I have reset our relationship with Argentina and established additional flights to the Falklands; have put the UK in the forefront of international cooperation on Venezuela; have negotiated the eviction of Julian Assange from the Ecuador embassy, and then relaunched our relations with Ecuador itself.
I have played my part in handling our vexed relationship with Russia, and in helping ensure last year’s western Balkans summit in London was such a success. Perhaps most fulfilling has been the steady nurturing of UK engagement in Central Asia, where a personal focus on Uzbekistan’s reform path helped lead to the release of a raft of political prisoners and the admission to the country of the BBC, The Economist and Reuters.
Rather less successfully, it was disappointing that our efforts to secure an agreement on the future of Cyprus failed, and I remain deeply upset that some fruitful discussions I had initiated about the possible release of Nazanin Ratcliffe were brought to such an abrupt halt.
The Foreign Office deserves far more recognition (and resources!) for the excellent work it does for our country, and I salute all who work in it with such integrity.
The UK does so much good in the world. It is tragic that just when we could have been the dominant intellectual and political force throughout Europe, and beyond, we have had to spend every day working beneath the dark cloud of Brexit.
On a heartfelt person note, I have known you and Philip for over 40 years, throughout which you have both displayed faultless dignity and an unstinting sense of duty. I am only sorry that your three years as prime minister have been brought to an end. You deserved better, but please take lasting comfort from the knowledge that your self-esteem can, and will forever, far exceed your critics.
Yours ever,
Alan