Cabinet signals controlling migration to take precedence over single market access in Brexit talks
The football season starts too early, Christmas trees will be going up in garden centres all over England from this week and our summer break seems to have been all too short before we’re having to come face to face with implementing Brexit…. Theresa May has been holding a summit of her cabinet and here are the key points:
And here are the key points.
The cabinet has agreed that getting a Brexit deal that will allow the UK to control immigration will take precedence over getting a deal that gives full access to the single market. That is the implication of the statement that the deal “must mean controls on the numbers of people who come to Britain from Europe but also a positive outcome for those who wish to trade goods and services.” The word “controls” is specific; the phrase “positive outcome” is vague, and could mean very little.
MPs will not get a vote on the decision to invoke article 50, triggering the formal two-year EU withdrawal process, the cabinet has confirmed.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be consulted over Brexit, but will not get a veto, the cabinet has confirmed.