Don’t go begging to EU, May is warned

THERESA MAY must not go round the European Union on “bended knee” pleading with leaders about the terms of Brexit, a former Cabinet minister has said.

Iain Duncan Smith said Brussels and Britain “want roughly the same thing” which is a free trade deal where goods and services are treated equally.

The former Work and Pen- sions Secretary told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The key thing is to make sure you don’t go under Article 50 and ask for special pleading.

“What we know is what the European Union want, and we want roughly the same thing.

“They want us to get on with this... as quickly as possible, but with some clarity about how we are going to trade.”

“If you talk to business people and politicians in the EU, they say, look, the access to the single market, yes, membership of the single market, no, because if what you want to do is control freedom of movement, then clearly that is .. [a red line].

“So, instead of us going over there with this kind of bendedknee, special-pleading process, which frankly was one of the problems with the previous negotiation, you know we went around begging people to give us something and they all said no, we should be working on what we can all achieve together that benefits both of us.”

Mr Duncan Smith, who has produced a paper on plans for quitting the bloc with other senior Tories, called for a new work permit system to stem the flow of low-skilled workers into the country but have a “light touch” for skilled professionals.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said any new immigration system would ensure the building sector “has got whatever it needs” to meet the Government’s housing targets.