David Lidington (pictured) said rejoining the EU is the 'last thing that the British people and 27 other governments want' As Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, David Lidington was Theresa May’s deputy during her tortuous, failed negotiations with the EU on Brexit. He quit after nine years, before Boris Johnson could sack him in his first Cabinet reshuffle, leaving Parliament at the last election. Now chairman of the Conservative European Forum, which was set up 50 years ago to restore the influence of the pro-EU wing of the party, he has a surprising but welcome message. ‘The Remain wing of the Conservative Party needs to move on from grieving about 2016 [the referendum], stop looking backwards and wishing for a different result.