Jacob Rees Mogg hits out at Theresa May's 'disappointing delay' to Brexit
3 min read
Jacob Rees-Mogg has condemned Theresa May's "disappointing" decision to call for a two-year implementation period after Britain quits the European Union.
The high-profile Tory backbencher also hit out at the Prime Minister's admission that freedom of movement will effectively continue during the transition phase, her offer of around £20bn to Brussels and the continued influence of the European Court of Justice after 30 March, 2019.
Mrs May set out her strategy in a landmark speech in the Italian city of Florence yesterday.
She said: "During the implementation period access to one another’s markets should continue on current terms and Britain also should continue to take part in existing security measures.
"The framework for this strictly time-limited period, which can be agreed under Article 50, would be the existing structure of EU rules and regulations."
The Prime Minister added: "During the implementation period, people will continue to be able to come and live and work in the UK; but there will be a registration system – an essential preparation for the new regime."
But speaking on the BBC's Newsnight programme last night, prominent Brexiteer Mr Rees-Mogg said: "I have three concerns about the speech, the first is free movement which ought to end at the end of March 2019 and I think it is about the question of the Home Office’s competence actually, because it hasn’t done very well with dealing with illegal immigrants so far. The question for the Home Office is can it be ready in time to do the job properly? I think that it ought to be and I think that is a challenge for the Home Secretary”
"The other area I’m concerned about is that we should be promising money before we know the other side of the deal. They want money, we want trade. For us to be guaranteeing money, which the speech practically does, so early on, concerns me considerable.
"And the third point that concerns me is that it hasn’t been made clear whether in this implementation period we will still be subject to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. To my mind that is a red line."
Mr Rees-Mogg - tipped by some Tories as a future Prime Minister - added: "I think the risk of delay is that we miss the opportunities of Brexit coming to the country sooner. How with free trade we can be more prosperous, we can cut the cost of living for everyone in society. In food, clothing and footwear most…we can improve the standard of living once we are outside the containment of the European Union. This is very exciting and delaying it is inevitably disappointing."
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