Theresa May slammed by angry hard-line Brexiteers and Remainers following ‘worrying’ keynote speech
Brexit chief Nigel Farage accused the Prime Minister of wanting to fudge Brexit
THERESA MAY was attacked by furious hard-line Brexiteers and Remainers for her Florence keynote speech last night.
Angry Leave voters and MPs rounded on the “worrying” transition period meanwhile arch-Europhile Lord Mandelson accused the PM of “kicking the can down the road.”
Tory Brexiteer Owen Paterson said “what worries me is the transition phase” – saying it would mean the UK could not enjoy the advantages of leaving for years.
And Professor Patrick Minford said he was “extremely disappointed”, claimed a transitional deal might not be “necessary” and called on the Government to start free trade talks.
The Chair of Economists for Free Trade added: “Delaying Brexit until at least 2021 means delaying the economic benefits leaving the EU brings the British people - improving living standards, creating new, better paid jobs and raising productivity.
“If the EU rejects this offer then rather than making more unnecessary concessions, Britain should be prepared to walk away from negotiations without a deal and without paying the EU a penny.”
Brexit chief Nigel Farage accused Mrs May of wanting to fudge Brexit.
Speaking to the BBC, he thundered: “She doesn’t want to leave at all and wants the current status quo to be re-badged."
“This transition arrangement she’s opted for where effectively we stay members for another two years, I fear that could go on for a long time.”
He added: “The message from Florence today is Britain is not open for business and that, for me, is the saddest part of this speech.
“What we’ve done today is we’ve kicked it into the long grass for another two years. It’s two fingers up to 17.4 million people who voted for Brexit.”
Meanwhile arch-Europhile Lord Mandelson accused the PM of “kicking the can down the road.”
He added: “The clock is ticking and yet there was not a single specific proposal about what the Government wants to achieve in the long term, talking about a transition without saying what we are transitioning to.”
Leave voters also expressed their dismay at the Brexit slow down.
Dianne Richardson, from Sunderland hit out at Mrs May, claiming she “hasn’t got a plan.”
She raged: “I don’t think she knows what she is doing and so she has taken an extra two years to make her mind up.
“She’s had over a year to go away and think about it. She should have had a plan in action by now. We voted to leave. Why put it off?
“She’s going to pay for four years into the EU. That money needs spending on this country now.
“That money should have been spent in this country last year. That money should have been spent in this country since 1973.
“I don’t think we - or any of the people in the North East and across the rest of the UK - realise how much money is being wasted.”
Meanwhile the Shadow Brexit Minister Jenny Chapman told the BBC the speech was “weak” and “empty”.
She said: “People will be scratching their heads and wondering what the fuss has been about this speech.
“There really wasn’t very much to it. I feel very, very disappointed in her speech today.”
And Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “Fifteen months after the EU referendum the Government is still no clearer about what our long term relationship with the EU will look like.”
