Jump directly to the content
Exclusive
HAMMY PULLS BREXIT STRINGS

Chancellor and other top Tories urge Theresa May to put jobs before immigration in talks

Chancellor Philip Hammond joined forces with Home Secretary Amber Rudd to demand the weakened PM prioritise jobs over tough immigration control

TOP Cabinet ministers today fought a major Brexit dust up with Theresa May in a bid to force her to rejig her negotiating strategy.

Chancellor Philip Hammond joined forces with Home Secretary Amber Rudd to demand the weakened PM prioritise jobs over tough immigration controls.

 Chancellor Philip Hammond says the PM must prioritise jobs
6
Chancellor Philip Hammond says the PM must prioritise jobsCredit: Reuters

With just five days to go before exit talks formally begin, the senior ministers - who backed Remain - also insisted Mrs May take account of last week’s disastrous general election result to shift to “a more pragmatic approach” to them.

Mr Hammond is also expected to repeat his demand in public tomorrow night, as he delivers the Chancellor’s annual Mansion House speech.

The Treasury boss will insist “British business, British jobs and British prosperity” must now be the government’s priorities during the ultra-high stakes Article 50 talks.

 Home Secretary Amber Rudd also believes jobs are the key issue in Brexit negotiations
6
Home Secretary Amber Rudd also believes jobs are the key issue in Brexit negotiations

His incendiary intervention comes as spiralling Brexit tensions among angry Tory MPs again threaten to reignite a new party civil war over Europe.

Last night’s 90 minute-long showdown came at the first meeting of the Cabinet’s new Brexit negotiations committee.

Mr Hammond - who the PM wanted to sack before the election result – and Ms Rudd were ranged against Leave champion Boris Johnson and Brexit Secretary David Davis.

Foreign Secretary Boris has already warned the PM that there must be “no backsliding” on her Lancaster House plan to take back full control of the UK’s laws, borders, money and trade.

Chaired by the PM, the key committee will steer direction for the 18 months of tough talks to win a good exit deal with the 27 other EU members.

 Theresa May wanted to sack Philip Hammond before the election result
6
Theresa May wanted to sack Philip Hammond before the election resultCredit: Rex Features

A senior government source said of the meeting: “Philip expressed some strong views, and Amber backed him all the way.

“Nobody is trying to reverse the EU referendum - we are leaving and everyone is fully committed to that.

“But this election has changed an awful lot, so Philip believes we need to fundamentally reassess where we are.”

The source added: “There are some difficult times ahead for the economy. Unemployment over the next two years must now be our greatest concern”.

The negotiations committee was set up two months ago after the PM triggered the Article 50 EU exit process.

It initially had a membership of just five, with a fine balance of the two Leave and Remain campaigners plus the PM sitting in the middle of them.

But The Sun has also learned that newly appointed First Secretary of State Damian Green – the PM’s deputy and a passionate pro-EU campaigner – was also today asked to join the committee as its sixth member, giving it a clear Remain majority.

 First Secretary of State Minister Damian Green has been appointed to the Brexit negotiating team
6
First Secretary of State Minister Damian Green has been appointed to the Brexit negotiating teamCredit: Getty Images

Mr Hammond’s major intervention tonight will infuriate hard line Brexiteers, lead by former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith.

As The Sun revealed today, ministers have also warned the PM she faces “our Passchendaele” of bitter trench warfare if she tries to push laws for a hard Brexit through the Commons having thrown away the Tories’ majority.

David Cameron tops a long list of Tory grandees urging Mrs May to talk to Labour and other parties over her Brexit plan.

Along with ex-PM Sir John Major, Mrs May’s predecessor Mr Cameron predicted a “softer Brexit” would now happen and said Parliament “deserves a say”.

 Ex-PM David Cameron has joined calls for a 'softer Brexit'
6
Ex-PM David Cameron has joined calls for a 'softer Brexit'Credit: Reuters

But leading Leave campaigner and Tory MP Steve Baker – who was made a Brexit ministry minister on Tuesday – insisted today there was no need to rejig Mrs May’s plan.

Mr Baker said: “I don’t foresee any change.

“The reality is that where we stand follows logically from leaving, so if we’re leaving what we need to do is do it smoothly and successfully and gain economic benefit”.

Despite the hung parliament turmoil sparked by the election, Mrs May is also set to soon announce that Brexit talks will start as planned next Monday, June 19.

Mr Davis will go to Brussels and begin them face to face with the EU’s chief negotiator, former French foreign minister Michel Barnier.

Germany leader Angela Merkel today cast doubt on whether Britain would be ready.

 Angela Merkel insists Europe is ready to begin talks
6
Angela Merkel insists Europe is ready to begin talksCredit: Alamy

Mrs Merkel said: “We’re ready on the European side. We’ll see about the rest”.

Meanwhile, Labour’s own Brexit position was plunged into fresh chaos when its Shadow Business Secretary cast doubt on a party election manifesto commitment to control immigration.

Rebecca Long-Bailey suggested it was a “point for negotiation” on whether free movement could continue in exchange for the UK remaining a partial member of the single market.

It’s the third contradictory position that Labour frontbenchers have taken on whether Britain stays in the single market or not since Sunday.

Then, shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Brexit should mean leaving the single market.

And on Monday, shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner said the UK could stay in the single market if it is ‘reformed’.

Topics