WITNEY and West Oxfordshire MP Robert Courts has drawn both criticism and praise after quitting his role as a Parliamentary Private Secretary over Brexit yesterday.

Supporters have backed Mr Courts for standing by his convictions, while critics have claimed the resignation is a career move.

The Oxford Mail asked the Witney MP why he decided to resign - this is what he had to say:

Was there a final straw that forced you to resign as a PPS now and what were your motivations for resigning?

RC: My decision to resign as a PPS was not one I took lightly. I have read the White Paper in detail and have to be able to support it wholeheartedly to the people of West Oxfordshire. When I read it, I felt that it gives too much control of our economy to the EU and leaves the European Court of Justice supreme in practice; a position in which we are required to obey the rules of the EU but without any real say or control over them. I could not support this to my constituents and so took the decision that I ought to resign.

Do you worry that this will be seen as undermining Theresa May at a time when there are fears about us securing the best possible Brexit deal?

RC: I support the Prime Minister. But when I have a concern over Government policy it is my duty, as it is for any MP, to say so. I would like the Government to reconsider its position which is why I have taken the action that I have. 

Some political figures in West Oxfordshire have said this is a move to protect your own interests and possibly enhance your career down the line – how would you respond to that?

RC: Anyone seriously involved in politics knows that acting against your party is unpopular with whips and does not improve career prospects. What I have done is put the interests of my country, and my constituency, as I see them, above the interests of my own career. To toe the party line would have been the easy option and would have been far more beneficial for my career.

Do you worry that your decision to resign could cause division in West Oxfordshire, a constituency that voted strongly in favour of remain?

RC: It is important to understand that this is not a decision that has anything to do with how a person voted in a referendum two years ago. This is about how the country is going to be governed in the years going forward. I am concerned about the impact of the White Paper on democratically accountable government in the UK, and these are concerns that should apply equally to everybody, regardless of whether they voted to remain or to leave. Further, I was elected on a clear Conservative manifesto last year and, if I do not feel that the White Paper honours this, I feel that I should point it out.