Industry minister Richard Harrington MP has resigned so that he can support efforts to avoid a no-deal Brexit.

In his resignation letter, the now ex-minister said, the government was “playing roulette” with peoples’ lives and livelihoods. “The clear message I have been receiving from the business community is that the failure to secure a deal and rule out a hard Brexit is resulting in cancelled investment decisions, business being placed abroad, and a sense of ridicule for British business across the world”. He added that a no-deal Brexit would mean “Jobs would be lost and livelihoods ruined”.

He said he would do everything possible to avoid crashing out of the EU without a deal and would work with colleagues to achieve this.