LONDON, July 9 (Xinhua) -- British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday appointed Dominic Raab as the new secretary of state for exiting the European Union (EU), Prime Minister Theresa May's office has announced.
The housing minister, who campaigned to leave the EU, will take the role after David Davis resigned late Sunday night in protest against Theresa May's "soft Brexit" strategy.
"The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Dominic Raab MP as secretary of state for exiting the European Union," May's office said in a statement
Davis said Monday he hoped his decision to quit as Brexit Secretary would put pressure on May not to give more concessions to Brussels on a trade deal with the EU.
Davis told BBC that Raab would be "very effective" in the post.
He said he would talk to Raab, who once served as his chief of staff, about the challenges he faces: "You hand over the job and tell him what the pitfalls are. That is what I will do."
The veteran politician hand-picked by May to lead Britain's journey away from the EU after the 2016 referendum sent his letter of resignation to May late Sunday night just 48 hours after the government cabinet had agreed on a potential future trade deal with the EU.
In his letter to May, Davis said he was unpersuaded that Britain's negotiating approach will not just lead to further demands for concessions by Brussels when the two sides negotiate on the details of their working relationship after Britain leaves the EU.
He said he thought the current trend of government policy and tactics is making it look less likely that the mandate of the referendum, and the conservative manifesto commitment to leave the customs union and the single market, could be delivered.
"In my view the inevitable consequence of the proposed policies will be to make the supposed control by parliament illusory rather than real," Davis added.
In her reply, May said she did not agree with Davis' characterization of the policy agreed by the cabinet when they met at her country retreat, Chequers, on Friday.
"I am sorry that you have chosen to leave the government when we have already made so much progress towards delivering a smooth and successful Brexit and when we are only eight months from the date set in law when the UK will leave the EU," May said.
