The Prime Minister is to promise strict immigration controls for after the UK leaves the European Union (EU) at the Tory Party conference, in a bid to reassure Brexiteers opposed to her “soft” Brexit plan.
Theresa May’s record on immigration has been strongly questioned in the past, with her failing to significantly reduce numbers during her six years as Home Secretary with responsibility for borders.
According to The Times, the migration scheme she will propose for after Brexit is likely to end preferential access for EU citizens, subjecting them to similar restrictions as non-EU citizens, and requiring them to get a visa to live in the UK.
The current system of capping the numbers of skilled and unskilled workers from outside the EU could also be extended to cover Europe, so it applies to all non-UK citizens wanting to come and live in Britain.
Mrs May and Home Secretary Sajid Javid reportedly agree on wanting to create a global migration scheme, but the anti-Brexit chancellor Philip Hammond and Greg Clark, the business secretary, have doubts.
Downing Street has summoned the cabinet to a special meeting on September 24th, less than a week before the Tory Party gathers in Birmingham where immigration is expected to feature.
On Tuesday night, a group of around 50 pro-Brexit Tory MPs openly discussed whether to send letters to back a vote of no confidence in Mrs May, with the support of just 48 needed to trigger a vote and potentially a leadership contest.
Comments at the meeting reportedly included: “Everyone I know says she has to go,” as well as, “she’s a disaster”, and, “this can’t go on”.
Mrs May’s “soft” Brexit plan is deeply unpopular with the public and is likely to be rejected by Brussels.
It has been called as the “worst of all worlds” and “Brexit in name only” by a former governor of the Bank of England and described as more unpopular that the poll tax by a pro-EU former Cabinet Minister.