May says voting Tory would strengthen UK’s hand as Merkel attacks British ‘illusion’

THERESA May has highlighted warnings from the German Chancellor that the UK will be worse off after Brexit to argue that she needs every vote at the General Election.

In a speech in Leeds, the Prime Minister seized on Angela Merkel’s comments on UK “illusions” about the process of leaving the European Union. Mrs May said the remarks showed “how tough those negotiations are going to be at times”.

She hit out at opposition parties again, accusing them of seeking to disrupt the exit talks “at the same time as 27 other European countries line up to oppose us”.

“That approach can only mean one thing – uncertainty and instability, bringing grave risk to our growing economy with higher taxes, fewer jobs, more waste and more debt.”

She added: “So we need the strongest possible hand, the strongest possible mandate and the strongest possible leadership as we go into those talks.”

“Every vote” would strengthen her hand when she negotiates leaders in Europe, she said.

Earlier Mrs Merkel warned the UK had “illusions” about the realities of Brexit, which were a “waste of time”.

The UK will not have the same rights as member states after it leaves, she said, and ruled out holding trade negotiations before the UK agreed to pay its “divorce bill”.

Mrs Merkel said: “You may think all this is self-evident. But I have to put this so clearly because I get the impression that some in Great Britain still have illusions about this, and that is a waste of time.

“We can only make a deal about Britain’s future relationship to the EU once all questions about the terms of its exit can be clarified to a satisfying degree.”

Labour’s national elections chairman Andrew Gwynne accused Mrs May of going to “extraordinary lengths to blinker the British public and make this election about anything other than her record in government.”