Theresa May forced to deny she is going soft on the immigration question after ruling out an Australian-style points-based system
Prime Minister says she has turned it down because she says she wants the government to have full control over who comes here
THERESA May has lashed out at backers of an Australia-style immigration system to insist it would not control numbers.
The PM was forced to deny she was going soft on new arrivals today after she revealed she didn’t want to introduce a points-based system after Brexit.
Ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage attacked her to insist it meant “serious backsliding” on the referendum result.
Her stand is a big embarrassment to five Vote Leave members of the Cabinet - including such as Boris Johnson - who pledged to introduce a points-based system if they won the referendum.
But Mrs May insisted they were wrong when she was grilled about the row during her press conference at the G20 summit in China.
She said: “What the British people voted for on the 23rd of June was to bring some control into the movement of people from the European Union to the UK.
“A points-based system does not give you that control."
As the former Home Secretary, she also recalled how Heathrow staff once told her and ex-PM David Cameron about how migrants were abusing student visa rules, but because they met the criteria they were automatically let in.
Mrs May added: "That's the problem with a points-based system.
“I want a system where the government is able to decide who comes into the country.
"I think that's what the British people want."
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A No10 spokeswoman added: “A points based system will not work and is not an option”.
Immigration campaigners weighed in to support Mrs May.
Chairman of Migration Watch UK Lord Green of Deddington said: “The issue is confidence in the government’s intention to reduce immigration from the EU.
“The Prime Minister was right to indicate that the Australian Points-Based System is not appropriate for the UK.
“The way forward is to expand and adapt our present work permit system. In reality this will be simpler and more effective.”
Former Tory leader and prominent Brexit campaigner Iain Duncan Smith also insisted Mrs May has not "reneged", and her attack on a points system had been "over-interpreted".
Mrs May also risked angering Brexit campaigners by leaving open the possibility of delaying triggering Article 50 to give herself more wiggle room.
Aides have been expecting the PM to to give the formal notice for Britain to leave the EU early in 2017.
But challenged on the date by The Sun today, Mrs May said: "What I've said on triggering Article 50 is that I won't be triggering it before the end of the year.
"I haven't set a date for when it is going to be triggered, but I'm conscious that they British people, they will want to see us putting their decision into practice."