BREXIT BATTLE
Theresa May refuses to rule out giving EU citizens special treatment to come to the UK after Brexit
Under the PM's plans agreed by cabinet on Friday unlimited immigration from the EU will end
THERESA May has refused to rule out giving EU citizens special treatment to come to the UK after Brexit.
Under her plan - agreed by cabinet on Friday - unlimited immigration from the EU will end.
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But in an interview with the the Prime Minister did not rule out preferential treatment for EU citizens after Brexit.
Repeatedly pressed on the subject she said: "We need to look at that in the context of the wider rules we have for immigration from outside of the European Union and we will decide the rules that are right for the UK."
The PM has been forced to defend the Brexit deal struck at Chequers as Downing Street stepped up efforts to win Tory Eurosceptic support for the plan that will keep the UK closely tied to Brussels.
Mrs May said the plan thrashed out with the Cabinet was aimed at making sure "we deliver on Brexit for the people because I won't let people down".
Her inner circle is trying to secure support for the proposals to create a new UK-EU free trade area for goods, with a "common rulebook".
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The Prime Minister told the BBC: "We're leaving the European Union. I think when people voted to leave the European Union, they wanted an end to free movement - free movement will end.
"They wanted us to end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the UK - that will end.
"They wanted us to stop sending the vast sums of money every year to the EU that we do today, and so take control of our money, our laws and our borders - and that's exactly what we will do.
"But we'll do it in a way that protects and enhances our economy for the future."
Tories are being invited to briefings about the plans, with the Prime Minister set to address Conservative MPs at a meeting in Parliament on Monday.
The first briefing was led by Chief Whip Julian Smith and Mrs May's chief of staff Gavin Barwell, with 10 Tory MPs attending the Saturday morning session.
It comes a day after May reportedly threatened to sack Boris Johnson after claiming her crushing victory over Brexiteer ministers.
The Prime Minister is said to have promised allies she will not tolerate any attempt by the Foreign Secretary to undermine the deal.
revealed her threat to Boris following a marathon all-day summit at her Buckinghamshire country retreat, at which they agreed a 'Soft Brexit' 12-point plan that will tie Britain to Brussels rules for goods and mirror EU judges' diktats.
In a letter to Conservative MPs later, May made clear that ministers who complained about her plan would be sacked.
She said: “As we developed our policy on Brexit I have allowed cabinet colleagues to express their individual views.
"Agreement on this proposal marks the point where that is no longer the case and collective responsibility is now fully restored."
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It followed fears Mr Johnson would lead half-a-dozen Eurosceptics to quit.
May appears to have faced down Brexiteer Cabinet ministers after securing agreement on plans which will keep the UK closely aligned to Brussels.
The proposals will now be assessed by the European Union.
But under the Government's plans the UK would be free to diverge from EU rules over services, a major part of the British economy, with ministers acknowledging this will reduce the levels of access available to European markets.
The Soft Brexit agreement in 6 bullet points
THERESA May’s UK-Free Trade Area:
- “Common rulebook” would keep British producers bound by EU rules on goods - including farmers.
- Parlament would oversee these rules - but deciding not to abide by them would have “consequences”.
- Joint UK-EU “Joint Committee” to oversee and rule on disputes but these would be settled based on more than 40 years of EU laws.
- Britain to effectively stay in the EU’s customs union - described as a “combined customs territory” - to avoid hard border with Ireland.
- Britain to be responsible for collecting EU tariffs and implementing EU trade policy for goods passing through the UK.
- Britain to leave EU rules for services - with banks losing crucial EU passporting rights that allows them to sell their services across Europe.
Brussels will be reluctant to support any plan which would risk splitting the single market, and ministers appeared to acknowledge this by agreeing to step up preparations for a "no deal" Brexit.
But Mrs May said she hoped the proposals, which will be produced in a formal White Paper next week, would enable talks with the EU to move forward.
Pro-Brexit groups were scathing of the PM's Brexit blueprint.
In a withering assessment Leave Means Leave boss John Longworth said the PM had "totally misled" 17.4million voters and branded her plans a "fake Brexit".
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However, business leaders, who have raised concerns about the impact of Brexit on jobs and the economy, welcomed the Cabinet agreement.
Despite the plan, Mrs May's position could still be under threat from Tory Brexiteers.
Backbencher Andrea Jenkyns said she was "awaiting the detail" of the plans before deciding whether or not to support calls for a leadership contest.
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