May warns of ‘tough times’ on road to Brexit

BRITAIN’S exit from the EU will not be ‘plain sailing’ and could lead to ‘difficult times ahead’ for the economy, Theresa May has admitted.

The Prime Minister’s remarks follow last week’s Cabinet decision that Britain should withdraw completely from the European single market as part of Brexit – a move which could lead to exporters having to pay tariffs when they trade with the EU.

In her first interview since entering Downing Street two months ago, Mrs May also: Ruled out a snap Election; Vowed there would be no second EU referendum;

And said there would not be a second Scottish independence vote.

The Prime Minister’s comments on the impact of leaving the EU follow claims of a ‘Brexit boom’ with ‘out’ supporters pointing to better than expected growth and employment figures since the vote as vindication.

Mrs May, pictured right during the interview to be broadcast on today’s Andrew Marr Show on BBC1, said: ‘We have had some good figures and better figures than some had predicted would be the case. [But] I’m not going to pretend that it’s all going to be plain sailing. I think we must be prepared for the fact that there may be some difficult times ahead.’

A Cabinet meeting at Chequers on Wednesday concluded that the UK should pull out of the single market in order to secure greater control over

Mimmigration – because the country would no longer be obliged to accept the freedom of movement of EU nationals. Mrs May told the BBC: ‘The British people are very clear... they don’t want free movement to continue in the way that it has done in the past.

‘That was a message from the British people. But people also want to see the job opportunities, to see the economic opportunities, and so getting a good deal in trade and services is also obviously important for us.’

The Prime Minister also moved to quash speculation that she will take advantage of Labour’s turmoil – and her own political honeymoon – to hold a snap Election, which experts say could boost her wafer-thin majority of 12 to more than 100.

‘We’ll be continuing the manifesto on which the Conservative Government was elected in 2015, so I don’t think there’s a need for an Election,’ Mrs May said. ‘I’m not going to be calling a snap Election.

‘I’ve been very clear that I think we need that period of time, that stability, to be able to deal with the issues that the country is facing and have that Election in 2020.’ She also ruled out a second EU referendum, saying: ‘We respect the wishes of the British people.

‘The British people want us to leave the European Union and that’s what we will do.’

And she rejected SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon’s call for another Scottish independence vote, following her loss in 2014, in the wake of the Brexit vote.

‘If you look at some of the results that are now coming out of polling in Scotland, they suggest that the Scottish people don’t want there to be a second referendum,’ she said.

Mrs May was due to arrive in China last night for the forthcoming G20 summit, where she is expected to hold talks about UK trade deals with the Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

British officials are also in discussion with New Zealand and Canada about exploiting the old imperial ties to boost British trade prospects in the aftermath of Brexit.

Mrs May said: ‘We are going to make a success of Brexit and one way we will do that is by playing to Britain’s strengths as a great trading nation and forging our own new trade deals around the world.

‘I will be seizing the opportunity to talk to leaders from countries like Australia who have already made clear that they want to strike a deal once we have left the EU.’