MAY’S POST-BREXIT NEGOTIATIONS VOW
THERESA May has vowed she will not allow her hands to be tied in negotiating a post-Brexit future for Britain, as she travelled to India on a mission to lay the groundwork for an “ambitious” trade deal.
In an indication that she will not allow the UK’s preparations to be held back by EU rules blocking members from striking bilateral deals, Mrs May intends to use the three-day trip to seek officiallevel talks to pave the way for a postBrexit free trade agreement, as well as moves to break down existing barriers to commerce and investment.
On her first trade mission as PM, Mrs May was joined by representatives of 33 companies from around the UK in an effort to “reboot an age-old relationship [with India] in this age of opportunity”.
Officials said the trip would see commercial deals sealed to create 1,370 jobs in the UK, as well as the establishment of a new UK-India “smart cities” urban partnership with the potential to unlock opportunities worth £2bn.
Following the setback of last week’s High Court ruling that she must seek Parliament’s approval to trigger talks to withdraw from the EU, Mrs May issued a warning to Remain-backing MPs and peers that they must “accept what the people decided” rather than try to block Brexit.
And she indicated she remains determined to resist demands from Labour and other parties to spell out her negotiating strategy for withdrawal talks under Article 50 of the EU treaties, insisting that “putting all our cards on the table” was “not in our national interest”.
The trip comes as the Government prepares to appeal against the judges’ decision in the Supreme Court in a bid to preserve Mrs May’s chances of hitting her target of triggering Article 50 by the end of March.
The PM will hold more than two hours of talks with her Indian counterpart Nar- endra Modi, as well as meeting business leaders in the capital New Delhi and southern commercial hub Bangalore.
Speaking ahead of her departure, Mrs May said: “While others seek to tie our negotiating hands, the Government will get on with the job of delivering the decision of the British people.
“We need to turn our minds to how we get the best outcome for our country. That means sticking to our plan and timetable, getting on with developing our negotiating strategy and not putting all our cards on the table – that is not in our national interest.”
Britain and India were “natural partners” with shared interests in delivering jobs, developing new technologies and tackling terrorism and climate change, said Mrs May.
“And on this visit I intend to harness that potential, rebooting an age-old relationship and with that helping to build a better Britain.”
Mrs May is likely to face pressure from her hosts about the availability of UK visas for Indian workers and students, amid unease over higher salary thresholds for skilled workers announced by the Home Office recently as part of ongoing efforts to reduce non-EU migration.
Indian tech body Nasscom warned: “A system that restricts the UK’s ability to access talent is also likely to restrict the growth and productivity of the UK.”
Meanwhile, the head of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci), A Didar Singh, warned that UK-Indian trade faces a “double hit”.
“Exports from the UK to India have been declining,” Mr Singh told The Guardian. “Now, exports from India to the UK will also decline because you’ve lost 18% of your pound’s value.”