Post-Brexit, UK will prefer developers from Delhi: May

LONDON: A challenge to her leadership looms, but Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday dwelt on the emotive issue of immigration to sell her controversial draft agreement, suggesting “software developers from Delhi” would be preferred over EU citizens after Brexit.

The required number of 48 Conservative MPs to trigger a leadership contest has not yet been reached, but her party lawmakers continued to make their positions known, with hardline Brexiteer Boris Johnson insisting the draft agreement is a “585page fig leaf (that) does nothing to cover the embarrassment of our total defeat”.

Indian and British companies continue to monitor the Brexit imbroglio closely. There are already reports of delayed or curtailed investment in the UK and staff-and-office moves to EU cities such as Paris and Frankfurt to enable companies to continue to operate across the European Union.

Seamless immigration from within the EU was one of the key reasons for the “Leave EU” vote in the 2016 referendum. May expounded on the issue in her address to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), noting she had an “intense week” ahead.

After Brexit, May said, London will regain full control of the UK’s borders, enabling it to set its preferred immigration policy. The focus will be on skilled migration, rather than low-skilled, a proposition not entirely welcomed by businesses struggling to find British employees for roles in the restaurant and other industries.

May said: “It will no longer be the case that EU nationals, regardless of the skills or experience they have to offer, can jump the queue ahead of engineers from Sydney or software developers from Delhi.

“Instead of a system based on where a person is from, we will have one that is built around the talents and skills a person has to offer. Not only will this deliver on the verdict of the referendum, it should lead to greater opportunity for young people in this country to access training and skilled employment.”

May’s spokesman later said: “There is a lot of work to be done. The PM has described this period as ‘critical’ and I would expect the talks this week to be intensive.”

A period of prolonged uncertainty looms for businesses, as reflected in comments by Scotland first minister Nicola Sturgeon and Liberal Democrats leader Vince Cable.

Sturgeon told business leaders long-term uncertainty is “hard wired” into the current Brexit deal.

In Brussels, the EU’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said the draft deal reached with the UK is “fair and balanced”, as the bloc haggled with UK over giving an extension to the transition period.