May instructs her ministers to make the most of Brexit
PM issues challenge at first Cabinet meeting before holding talks with Merkel about UK’s role in Europe
BRITAIN must not be “defined by Brexit” and everyone should prosper from the “opportunities” of leaving the European Union, Theresa May has said before the first meeting of her Cabinet.
The Prime Minister will today tell ministers that it is their “duty” to improve education and skills and ensure that social mobility is “at the heart of my Government”.
She says that ministers must “deliver success on behalf of everyone in the UK” after a Brexit and not just for the “privileged few”.
Mrs May will tomorrow travel to Berlin for her first face-to-face meeting as Prime Minister with Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor.
Downing Street confirmed that they will discuss Brexit despite the insistence of European leaders that no negotiations should take place until the formal process of leaving the EU has begun. She will use the meeting to insist that Britain will not turn its back on the Europe after Brexit, but instead build stronger partnerships with EU nations.
Boris Johnson, the new Foreign Secretary, yesterday used his first Brussels summit to vow that Britain will not “be in any way abandoning our leading role in European participation and co-operation of all kinds”.
Mrs May, speaking before her first Cabinet meeting, said: “Brexit means Brexit – and we’re going to make a success of it. It will be the responsibility of everyone sitting around the Cabinet table to make Brexit work for Britain.
“And it will also be their duty to deliver success on behalf of everyone in the UK, not just the privileged few. That is why social justice will be at the heart of my government.
“So we will not allow the country to be defined by Brexit; but instead build the education, skills, and social mobility to allow everyone to prosper from the opportunities of leaving the EU.”
It comes after she vowed in her first speech as Prime Minister last week to help working-class people who are “just managing” to cope with life. She said that she wants to “fight against the burning injustices” of poverty, race, class and health and give people back “control” of their lives.
After Cabinet the Prime Minister will hold her first meeting of the National Security Council, during which she will lead discussions on the global threats facing Britain and the safety of British nationals overseas.
Mrs May has ruled out claims by Nicola Sturgeon that Scotland will have a veto over when Britain leaves the European Union. On Friday she told Scotland’s First Minister that she would not start the Brexit process until she had agreed a “UK approach”.
Ms Sturgeon claimed that her comments put the Scottish Government in a “very, very strong position” over when Britain triggers Article 50 and begins the formal process of leaving the EU.
But Downing Street yesterday made clear that the Prime Miniser will have the final say as to when Britain leaves the EU.
Mrs May yesterday made her first visit to Wales as Prime Minister and said that she wants the Welsh Government to be “involved and engaged” in Brexit negotiations. She said she recognised concerns on the loss of EU funding and described the meeting as “very constructive”.
The Prime Minister said that a £24billion deal by a Japanese company to buy one of Britain’s biggest technology companies shows the UK is “open for business”. Her backing came after she spoke directly to the chief executive of SoftBank, the Japanese company buying ARM Holdings. She said she had received assurances that SoftBank will double the workforce in the UK and retain its Cambridge headquarters.
During his appearance in Brussels, Mr Johnson spoke French at the breakfast meeting as he sought to build bridges with ministers who were angered after he compared the EU’s ambitions to Hitler’s aim to create a superstate. The French foreign minister said Mr Johnson did not apologise.
‘’Build the education, skills and social mobility to allow everyone to prosper from leaving the EU’