Michael Gove: The British people can change Theresa May's Brexit deal at the next election
2 min read
Michael Gove has said the British people will be able to change Theresa May’s Brexit deal at the next general election.
In a thinly-veiled swipe at the agreement the Prime Minister reached with Brussels following lengthy negotiations, the leading Brexiteer said voters remained "in control" of the process..
Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Gove said: "If the British people dislike the agreement that we have negotiated with the EU, the agreement will allow a future government to diverge."
His remarks are significant because he and Boris Johnson - another prominent member of the Vote Leave campaign during the referendum - have privately urged Mrs May to pursue a hard Brexit.
Reacting to the deal yesterday on Twitter, the Foreign Secretary warned the Prime Minister to "remain true to the referendum result".
Elsewhere in his article, Environment Secretary Mr Gove said that “from the day we leave, we will be able to spend more on our own domestic priorities such as housing, education and the NHS”.
He added: “We will have the freedom to negotiate and sign trade agreements with other countries around the world, and to regulate our own international trade policy without being fettered by EU law or the jurisdiction of the ECJ.”
Although most Conservatives publicly backed the Prime Minister yesterday, many of her MPs voiced their concerns.
Former Brexit minister David Jones said he was worried about plans to maintain "alignment" between the UK and EU in areas covered by the Good Friday Agreement.
“The worry about that of course is that that could well relate to very important areas, for example agriculture, which we would want to throw into the mix in negotiating a free trade agreement with a third country,” he explained.
“And if this were to persist then it could severely handicap our ability to enter into those free trade agreements. So I think we do need to see that particular provision refined.”
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