May fires blistering broadside at EU’s top politicians
A major report says that freedom of movement won’t grind to a halt when the UK leaves the European Union. Political editor David Williamson takes a look
PRIME Minister Theresa May yesterday sent shockwaves across the continent when she claimed elements in the European Union are trying to influence the general election result. The Conservative leader, pictured below, delivered an extraordinary speech in Downing St just moments after returning from a visit with the Queen at Buckingham Palace to mark the dissolution of Parliament. In a tirade which could push relations between her Government and the EU to a new low, she said: “Britain’s negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press. The European Commission’s negotiating stance has hardened. “Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials. All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election that will take place on June 8.”
Mrs May restated her claim that “no deal is better for Britain than a bad deal” and said “there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed” and who “do not want Britain to prosper”.
Presenting the general election as a straight choice between UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and her, she said: “If we don’t get the negotiation right, if we let the bureaucrats of Brussels run over us, we will lose the chance to build a fairer society with real opportunity for all.”
A Welsh Labour spokesman turned his guns on Mrs May, saying: “Theresa May wants to make this election all about Brexit to avoid scrutiny of the Tories’ record of failure in Wales and across the UK.”
THERESA May has accused European politicians and officials of seeking to influence the result of the UK’s General Election as the war of words over Brexit intensified.
The Prime Minister used a Downing Street statement to claim that the UK’s position had been misrepresented and the European Commission’s position had hardened.
“The events of the last few days have shown that whatever our wishes and however reasonable the positions of Europe’s other leaders, there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed, who do not want Britain to prosper,” she said.
In a statement after meeting the Queen to mark the dissolution of Parliament, Mrs May said the victor of the June 8 election would face “one overriding task”, getting the “best possible deal” for the UK.
“In the last few days we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be,” she said.
“Britain’s negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press. The European Commission’s negotiating stance has hardened.
“Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials.
“All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the General Election that will take place on June 8.”
Mrs May warned of “serious consequences” if Brexit negotiations went wrong.
She said: “If we do not get this right, the consequences will be serious and they will be felt by ordinary working people across the country.
“This Brexit negotiation is central to everything.
“If we don’t get the negotiation right, your economic security and prosperity will be put at risk and the opportunities you seek for your families will simply not happen.
“If we do not stand up and get this negotiation right we risk the secure and well-paid jobs we want for our children and our children’s children too.
“If we don’t get the negotiation right, if we let the bureaucrats of Brussels run over us, we will lose the chance to build a fairer society with real opportunity for all.”
Mrs May said voters faced a “very simple” choice on June 8 between her and Jeremy Corbyn.
“With me you will get strong and stable leadership and an approach to Brexit that locks in economic growth, jobs for our children and strong finances for the NHS and the country’s schools,” she said.
“Or you will get Jeremy Corbyn with a hung parliament and a coalition of chaos.
“Britain will simply not get the right Brexit deal if we have the drift and division of a hung parliament.
“So, with Jeremy Corbyn negotiating Brexit, we will all pay a high price.”
Mrs May said the election was not only about Brexit, but also about building a stronger and fairer economy and protecting the UK against attacks from extremists and efforts by separatists to tear it apart.
“As we face this critical time for our country - five years that will determine the course of the United Kingdom for generations to come we must do so together, with a unity of purpose to make a success of Brexit and to build a stronger, more secure country too,” she said.
Mrs May said she would have a “clear message” in the election campaign.
“If like me you believe in Britain, if like me you want our country to succeed, if like me you believe in putting division behind us, in looking to the future and getting on with the job of building the stronger, more secure country that we need, then fix your sights on the future and in this unique and crucial election for our country, give me your backing to lead Britain.
“Give me your backing to speak for Britain, give me your backing to fight for Britain, give me your backing to deliver for Britain a stronger Britain where economic progress is secured and prosperity and opportunity is shared by all.
“A Britain that works not just for the privileged few but for every single one of us.”
Mrs May said she had made clear to Brussels in her letter formally starting the Brexit process that “in leaving the European Union, Britain means no harm to our friends and allies on the continent”.
“We continue to believe that no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal, but we want a deal,” she said.
“We want a deep and special partnership with the EU and we want the EU to succeed.”
Leaks from a Downing Street dinner in which Mrs May hosted European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier have revealed the tensions between the two sides.
Mr Juncker reportedly left saying he was “10 times more sceptical”
about the prospect of a deal.
Mrs May said the events of recent days showed “now more than ever we need to be led by a prime minister and a government that is strong and stable”.
“Because making Brexit a success is central to our national interest and central to your own security and prosperity,” she told voters.
“If we do not get this right, the consequences will be serious.”
Labour leader Mr Corbyn said: “Theresa May is playing party games with Brexit in the hope of winning advantage for the Tories in the General Election.
“By winding up the public confrontation with Brussels, the Prime Minister wants to wrap the Conservative Party in the Union Jack and distract attention from her Government’s economic failure and run-down of our public services.
“But Brexit is too important to be used as a political game in this election.
“These are vital negotiations for every person in Britain and for the future of our country.
“But Theresa May is putting party interest ahead of the national interest.
“The Prime Minister is right that there are those in Brussels who don’t want a deal.
“But that is also true of leading figures in the Tory party, who want to use Brexit to turn Britain into a lowwage tax haven.
“The Prime Minister says that no deal would lead to a different economic model for Britain.
“In plain terms, that means wiping out employment rights and consumer protections and giving still more tax breaks to the rich and big corporations.
“That’s the threat and the risk that comes from this Tory Government.
“Only Labour can be trusted to negotiate a Brexit deal that puts jobs and living standards first.
“Labour will negotiate a Brexit for the many, not the few.”
Mr Juncker’s chief of staff Martin Selmayr indicated that the Commission president would welcome a result from the UK elections which provided a strong negotiator on the other side of the table for Brexit talks.
Asked whether he agreed that Mrs May was a “bloody difficult woman”, Mr Selmayr said: “President Juncker said today that she is an impressive woman and that she is a very impressive negotiator.
“That’s the way we have come to know her, and I don’t think that’s going to change.
“We need a very strong negotiator who unites the whole nation behind her and then in a very strong and tough way leads the negotiations.”
In Brussels, Mr Selmayr acknowledged that the leaks of last week’s dinner had created “a lot of havoc”, but insisted that the EU side were treating the negotiations “professionally”.
“Certainly there is much ado about this, but that doesn’t change anything in principle for the President of the Commission, the EU and Michel Barnier,” he said.
“We will be going about this very professionally.”
Brexit negotiations would not be “a walk in the park”, but he was sure that, as a “pragmatic” nation, the UK would conduct them “in good faith”, he said.
And he added: “Brexit will never become a success, of course, because it is a sad and sorry event.
“But as I have set out, it can be managed in a professional and pragmatic way.”
Mr Selmayr played down the extent to which Brexit will dominate EU activities in the coming months, insisting that Mr Juncker will be spending only about “half an hour a week” on the subject.
Brexit would only come to the forefront of EU debate every three or four months, he predicted.
Plaid Cymru Dwyfor Meirionnydd incumbent candidate Liz Saville Roberts said: “The Prime Minister’s erratic behaviour today has been a masterclass in belligerence. Rather than approach key players in the EU negotiations with diplomacy and
THE highly respected Institute for Government argues that a new immigration system will simply not be ready by April 2019 and that freedom of movement could continue for several years.
It claims that introducing a new system would be unfeasible not just for Government but also for employers, landlords and public service providers.
The report warns that today’s process for registering EU nationals is not “fit for purpose” and unless it is overhauled the Government could need up to 5,000 extra civil servants to process applications and deal with appeals.
Here are the key findings of the report: 1. The Government may have to process three million residency applications from EU citizens.
The report describes the enormity of the task of processing applications from the equivalent of nearly the entire population of Wales.
It states: “There are an estimated three million EU nationals already resident in the UK, and one million UK citizens living in the EU. The UK will need to provide EU nationals with the relevant documentation confirming residency in the UK, and member states will be responsible for doing the same for British citizens in the EU.
“The challenge for government is processing a possible three million applications with a system designed to manage a fraction of that. The Home Office needs either significant numbers of additional staff or a redesign of the process, or, better still, both.” 2. EU nationals are at the heart of the NHS.
Stressing the importance of workers from EU countries to the health service, the report states: “One in 10 NHS doctors are EU nationals, and there are 55,000 EU nationals working in the NHS in total. The figure is more striking when you look at new entrants to the workforce. In 2015–16, EU migrants made up 32% of new joiners to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.” 3. The Government must act decisively to avoid confusion.
Author Joe Owen writes: “Government must clarify the rights and entitlements of EU nationals living in the UK, and provide them with documentation attesting to their status. Without that there will be confusion for employers, landlords and providers of public services – as well as prolonged uncertainty for citizens.”4. Putting a new immigration regime in place by April 2019 is “unfeasible”.
The report warns: “The scale of the task makes successful implementation of a new immigration regime by April 2019 unfeasible, not just for government, who will need to design and deliver the regime, but also the employers, landlords and providers of public services who both rely on the system and support its functioning. For immigration, this will require the continuation of free movement, possibly for several years post-Brexit.” 5. Five thousand new staff may be needed at the Home Office.
It claims: “The Home Office could need up to 5,000 additional staff to process applications if those looking to remain in the UK post-Brexit are required to apply through the current permanent residency process under existing eligibility rules and levels of scrutiny.” 6. Implementation of a new immigration system could take “several years”.
Urging the UK Government to face up to the challenges ahead, the report states: “Government should recognise now that a new immigration regime for post-Brexit EU migrants will not be ready by April 2019, with time required to consult on plans, to implement the system and for employers to adapt. A new regime could be in place within a year after Brexit, but if the decision is delayed until talks conclude, implementation is likely to be several years’ post-Brexit.” 7. Don’t make changes until the new system is ready.
Mr Owen urges: “Government should avoid making changes until the new regime is ready. Multiple changes increase the disruption to labour markets and administrative burdens. That means free movement will have to continue post-Brexit until the new regime is ready to go live.”
8. Keep changes at the border to a minimum.
The Government is told it should “keep changes to the way in which EU nationals are processed at the physical border to a minimum, at least in the short term”. It argues this will “support the commitment of both the UK and the EU to maintaining the Common Travel Area with the Republic of Ireland”. 9. Government bodies will need more cash.
The report warns that to improve immigration “enforcement”, the Government will need to “increase resources in enforcement units across the Home Office and HM Revenue and Customs, as well as those monitoring compliance with the National Living Wage”.
Jill Rutter of the Institute for Government said: “The political imperative for change in immigration is significant, but so is the administrative challenge.
“The scale of the task – creating a new immigration system – is huge and it is critical that Government gets it right.
“The current process for dealing with permanent residence applications from EU nationals is not fit for purpose, as the government itself acknowledged. It needs to be streamline as a matter of urgency and as a first step towards a new post-Brexit system.”
Seamus Nevin, head of employment and skills policy at the Institute of Directors, said: “A sensible system will be key to UK’s future success but designing one that strikes the right balance will take time. What employers don’t want is the instability of having to waste a great deal of time and effort learning to navigate multiple rounds of changes and new rules.
“That would create a bureaucratic nightmare for recruiters, especially smaller firms.”
Welsh Ukip MEP Nathan Gill insisted an overhaul of the immigration system in time for Brexit day should be possible.
He said: “Why on earth can’t the fifth biggest economy in the world do that? Of course we can.
“If there’s political will you can do anything... I think there will be an awful lot of very unhappy Brexit voters and Conservative voters as well if the Conservative party don’t put in the effort to make sure that we have something in place come March 29, 2019 to make sure we are fully out of free movement of people.”
Plaid Cymru has this week pushed for the introduction of a Welsh visa programme. It wants the Welsh Government to be able to admit people to Wales who have skills which would build up the economy.
Carmarthen East and Dinefwr incumbent Plaid candidate Jonathan Edwards said: “You cannot have a one size fits all approach to immigration. While one in six people in England are international migrants, 96% of people in Wales are from the British Isles.
“The Welsh economy has significant skills gaps in certain sectors while England has different needs. The Welsh Government should create a skills shortage occupation register and our immigration policy should be able to reflect that shortage.”
FRUSTRATION with free movement of people is considered a key reason why millions of people voted for Brexit less than a year ago.
It may be entirely normal in the United States for people living in Massachusetts to pack up their families and relocate in California, but our departure from the EU will bring an end to these extraordinary days when a twentysomething in Maesteg can jump on a budget flight to Milan in search of adventure and employment.
A social revolution is under way in Europe with major cultural and economic consequences, and a narrow majority of voters in Wales and England decided we were better off not part of it.
During the referendum Out campaigners shamelessly and relentlessly stoked fears that Turkey – a country that shows no sign of meeting the minimum standards on human rights required for admission – was on the verge of joining the EU.
The implicit message was that just as Eastern Europeans have come to work in the UK, a new wave of migrants would soon be on the way.
Historians will scratch their heads when they study the Out vote in Wales. The desire to pull up the drawbridge did not coincide with a time of rampant joblessness, but historically low unemployment.
Nevertheless, as Theresa May made spectacularly clear in her Downing St speech yesterday when she launched her tirade against EU chiefs, the UK is on the way out the Brexit door and the cord that has linked Britain and Brussels for more than four decades will be severed.
However, a report from the highly regarded Institute for Government makes the case it is unlikely that freedom of movement will stop right away. In fact, it could take several years.
It warns it is “unfeasible” to have a new immigration regime in place by Brexit day and that “free movement will have to continue post-Brexit until the new regime is ready to go live”.
The administrative task of granting residency rights to the three million EU citizens in the UK is daunting and could require an additional 5,000 civil servants.
The most damaging long-term outcome for Wales and the UK would be the flight of EU citizens and a reluctance among skilled workers to come to this country. Quite literally, lives are at stake.
The report states: “One in 10 NHS doctors are EU nationals, and there are 55,000 EU nationals working in the NHS in total.
“The figure is more striking when you look at new entrants to the workforce. In 2015-16, EU migrants made up 32% of new joiners to the Nursing and Midwifery Council.”
Yes, there is an argument that the UK should be training many more of its own doctors and nurses, but our already strained health services will face a profound crisis if many of these men and women leave the UK and decide to pursue careers in other lucrative markets.
We need to ensure Wales remains famed for the warmth of its welcome.