When Theresa May stood up at the CBI conference earlier this month and declared that under the new Brexit immigration system, EU nationals would no longer be able to ‘jump the queue’, she met a hostile reaction. The rhetoric led to fellow leaders, MPs and voters going on the offensive over the comments.
Today Theresa May took the opportunity to apologise for that comment. Asked in the Chamber by the SNP’s Philippa Whitford whether she wished to apologise for insulting EU nationals like Whitford’s husband, a German national and a doctor, who have contributed to society and made a home here, May said she should not have used that phrase: ‘I should not have used that language in that speech’. May went onto say that what she had been trying to say was that the new immigration system would allow people to enter the country purely on the basis of the contribution they make, rather than where they are from.
Given that May’s speech to the CBI was a bit set piece event and pre-planned, it’s unlikely the queue comment was off-the-cuff. However, the fact that May decided to row back on her comments suggests that Downing Street is reconsidering its approach when it comes to selling this deal. The one Brexit red line May appears to have kept intact throughout these negotiations is on immigration: taking back control of UK borders. Given that this appears to be the biggest achievement of the EU withdrawal bill, No.10 have been keen to play it up and talk tough on immigration. However, this has actually angered a number of Brexiteers who feel it shows that May doesn’t understand that the Brexit vote was about more than immigration.
May’s decision to tone down the rhetoric suggests that the Prime Minister has belatedly realised that the message had a negative impact both with the EU citizens to whom she refers and the Brexiteer MPs she is trying to win over.
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