PM vows to block new French president Emmanuel Macron’s bid to scrap Calais border deal
Theresa May yesterday vowed to block any attempts by the new French President Emmanuel Macron to scrap Britain’s border deal in Calais.
Last month he said the so-called Le Touquet agreement “must be renegotiated” and yesterday Mrs May sparked fears by saying she would be “sitting down and talking to Monsier Macron” about how the system works.
But her aides insisted she will make clear the crucial border deal is “not up for negotiation”. The treaty was signed in 2003 and lets British officials carry out border checks on the French side of the Channel.
Mrs May said she will tell Mr Macron that the Touquet agreement “works for the benefit of both the UK and France”.
Experts warn that ripping up the bilateral agreement would be bad for France because it would make Calais a magnet for migrants again.
On a campaign trip to Harrow in north west London yesterday the PM said: “Obviously the Government elected after the 8th June will be sitting down and talking to Monsieur Macron and others about how that system we have works for the benefit of France as well as the benefit of the UK.”
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Charlie Elphicke, the Tory candidate for Dover, welcomed Mrs May’s tough stance.
He told The Sun: “It’s great news Theresa May will fight to keep the treaty in place.
“If the treaty was axed then Calais would again become a magnet for migrants and evil people traffickers. We must never allow the Calais Jungle to return - which is why this treaty works for France as much as Britain.”
She also warned that Mr Macron’s landslide election triumph had given him a “strong position” in Brexit negotiations and said it showed why she needed an “equally strong mandate” in next month’s General Election.
Mrs May said: “Every vote for me and my team will strengthen my hand in those Brexit negotiations.”