Britain heading for ‘worst’ Brexit deal
Cabinet is undermining negotiations, says former May aide as plans emerge to keep free movement
BRITAIN risks signing up to the worst possible Brexit deal, Theresa May’s former chief of staff warns today, as it emerges several Cabinet ministers want freedom of movement to continue after the country leaves the EU. In an article for today’s Daily Telegraph, Nick Timothy tells the Prime Minister she must harden her negotiating strategy, adding: “The time for playing nice and being exploited is over.”
Mr Timothy, one of Mrs May’s closest allies, says she has been “undermined” by Parliament and her own Cabinet and now risks being pushed into the worst possible outcome.
He accuses Greg Clark, the Business Secretary, of making the case for free movement and says Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, has “blocked meaningful no-deal planning”.
“This is ridiculous, and it has to stop,” Mr Timothy writes. “The EU showed last December – when the talks faltered over Northern Ireland – that they want a deal. But they want a deal on the best terms for them, and the very worst for Britain. As things stand, they might well succeed.”
He adds: “There is little point complaining, but we should listen and our strategy should change … The time for sincere cooperation with a partner that does not want to sincerely cooperate is over: we must toughen up.”
It comes days ahead of a crucial Cabinet meeting at Chequers to finalise Britain’s negotiating strategy. There are growing concerns among Brexit-supporting ministers that they are to be bounced into supporting a watereddown version of leaving, which will see Britain tied to the Customs Union and the single market.
This newspaper has learnt that free movement of workers could also effectively continue after Brexit under proposals due to be discussed by the Cabinet next week.
Senior Cabinet ministers fear plans to allow EU workers with a job unfettered access to the UK could be included as part of the Government’s offer to Brussels, amid a realisation that time is running out to secure a Brexit deal. Mr Timothy, who stood down after last year’s election, says that Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, is “alone” in his determination to “put the EU on the back foot”, amid suggestions he is resisting the scheme in its current form.
The issue is expected to come up at a crunch meeting next week at Chequers, where Britain’s position ahead of the next round of talks with the EU will be agreed. Ministers were told there are now just six weeks left to thrash out a
‘It would mean the UK would not be able to fully control its borders – the opposite of what people voted for’
deal before the October EU summit, when everything must be agreed.
But there is a growing row over whether the immigration proposal should be included in the Government’s white paper. Some pro-brexit figures have called for it to be held back as a last-ditch bargaining chip if the negotiations do not progress.
One senior pro-brexit source said: “Something like this cannot be included in the white paper. If we’re going down that route it would mean total surrender. It would mean the UK would not be able to fully control its own borders – exactly the opposite of what people voted for. It would never get past the voters”.
There have also been discussions about whether EU migrants or potential employers should have to prove no UK national could do the job before the migrants are granted a visa. The tougher second option would be closer to the current system for people wanting to come to the UK from countries outside of the EU, The Telegraph understands. It follows reports that the Home Secretary favours a post-brexit immigration pol- icy that would apply to all – with no preferential treatment for EU migrants.
A ministerial source said there had been “lot of discussions” but that the details were not expected to be set out until later in the year, after experts present ministers with a report on the impact of stopping EU free movement.
The Migration Advisory Committee is set to send its recommendations to the Home Office in September, after which Mr Javid and his team will publish their own plans.
Whitehall sources said including the clause could help smooth talks and bring swifter agreement on the future trading relationship, which is proving difficult to agree.
Officials in Brussels have reportedly been pushing for a similar guarantee as their red line in order to give ground on trade, sources told this newspaper.
The white paper, in its eighth draft and well over 100 pages, has not been agreed and most ministers have not yet seen it. One Eurosceptic minister said while some in the Cabinet would be “relatively comfortable” with the idea of free movement of labour, others wanted extra safeguards.