British Conservative MP Nick Boles speaks at the House of Commons in London, Britain April 1, 2019.Theresa May's Conservative Party has suffered a string of resignations by pro-European members of Parliament.
LONDON — Theresa May's Conservative party has suffered a series of resignations in recent weeks as pro-European Members of Parliament have resigned the party whip in protest at the prime minister's refusal to compromise on Brexit. Under House of Commons convention, MPs are typically"whipped" to vote a certain way, with disciplinary measures potentially taken against those who disobey their whip.
However, text messages sent by a more junior government whip, and seen by Business Insider, reveal that Conservative MPs were also lobbied specifically not to back Boles' plan. It added:"Please note the deal crashes any hope of freedom of movement control; sets U.K. as a rule-taker and loses state aid and procurement advantages of HMG deal that appealed to Labour."