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Iain Duncan Smith tells Theresa May not to go on 'bended knee' to EU in Brexit talks

The Ex-Tory leader says the same approach failed for David Cameron

Political Editor

Saturday 01 October 2016 10:22 BST

Iain Duncan Smith says Theresa May must show Brussels it is in their interest to reach an agreement beneficial to both parties (Getty)

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith has warned Theresa May not go into Brexit talks on “bended knee”, begging to get concessions from Europe.

Mr Duncan Smith claimed David Cameron failed to win a decent deal from EU leaders using the same tactic and said the current Prime Minister had to show Brussels it is in their interest to reach an agreement beneficial to both parties.

His intervention, which also saw him call for a clampdown on low-skilled immigrants, increases Tory tensions over Brexit following a drive by Conservatives like Ken Clarke and Nicky Morgan to push Ms May into a moderate position on immigration and the single market.

Mr Duncan Smith told the BBC Today programme: "So, instead of us going over there with this kind of bended knee, special-pleading process, which frankly was one of the problems with the previous negotiation, you know we went around begging people to give us something and they all said no, rather than doing that we should be working on what we can all achieve together that benefits both of us.

"This is where, when you talk to people, they immediately agree. What they don't want to do is find their goods and services end up having charges placed on them when they come to the UK, and they accept that shouldn't be the case.

"So, let's work towards a free trade position where actually goods and services are treated equally and that would work well for both of us."

What experts have said about Brexit

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1/11What experts have said about Brexit

What experts have said about Brexit

Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond

The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit “One of Britain’s great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs” “This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the world’s leading international financial centre.”

Reuters

What experts have said about Brexit

Yanis Varoufakis

Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: “You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear”

Getty Images

What experts have said about Brexit

Michael O’Leary

Ryanair boss says UK will be ‘screwed’ by EU in Brexit trade deals: “I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how ‘the world will want to trade with us’. The world will want to screw you – that's what happens in trade talks,” he said. “They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade”

Getty

What experts have said about Brexit

Tim Martin

JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: “We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea"

PA

What experts have said about Brexit

Mark Carney

Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: “I am absolutely serene about the … judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC”

Reuters

What experts have said about Brexit

Christine Lagarde

IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: “We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making”

Getty Images

What experts have said about Brexit

Inga Beale

Lloyd’s chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe”

EPA

What experts have said about Brexit

Colm Kelleher

President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London ‘will suffer’ as result of the EU referendum: “I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much”

What experts have said about Brexit

Richard Branson

Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and that’s happening all over the country"

Getty Images

What experts have said about Brexit

Barack Obama

US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth"

Getty Images

What experts have said about Brexit

Kristin Forbes

American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been “less stormy than many expected” following the shock referendum result: “For now…the economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up – and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction”

Getty

Mr Duncan Smith, who with other senior Tories has produced a paper on plans for quitting the bloc, called for a new work permit system to ease immigration that would be implemented "very strongly at the lower end" to stem the flow of low-skilled workers into the country but have a "light touch" for skilled professionals, such as scientists.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid on Saturday said any new immigration system would ensure the building sector "has got whatever it needs" to meet the Government's housing targets. The influx of construction workers from across the EU has often been blamed for pushing down wages in the industry.

But Mr Javid told the Financial Times that tackling the housing crisis by building one million homes by 2020 was his "number one priority".

"Wherever we end up, the Government is determined to get a good deal for Britain," he said.

"Whether it's construction or any other sector, we don't want to make it any more difficult for those industries than it is."

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