Labour’s leader in European Parliament says Theresa May’s Brexit plan will 'make most people poorer'

Glenis Wilmott MEP responds to the Prime Minister’s speech and describes her plans as 'chaotic'

Glenis Willmot (Glenis Willmot)

Theresa May’s Brexit plan will “make most people poorer”, Labour’s leader in the European Parliament said.

Glenis Wilmott MEP described the Prime Minister's plans as “chaotic”.

“Theresa May has previously claimed she would protect workers after Brexit," she told The Independent. "But how does this square with the chancellor’s vision of a neoliberal lala land in which employment, environmental and consumer rights are sacrificed, taxes are slashed and public services suffer.”

"Whether she calls it 'soft', 'hard' or 'red, white and blue', the result will almost certainly be chaotic.”

Ms May said the United Kingdom would not remain a full member of the EU customs union after Brexit, and instead would negotiate its own trade deals with the rest of the world.

She also suggested Britain would prefer to retain a form of "associate membership" of the union, limiting the increase in red tape for businesses who export to continental Europe

But Ms Wilmott said the plans meant jobs were at risk and that Ms May had not outlined what she actually wants to achieve from the negotiations.

“So now we know: Theresa May has given up on the Single Market before negotiations have even begun, whatever the cost - the cost in jobs, the cost in trade, the cost to our economy.

“Britain is leaving the European Union, but the choices about how we leave will sit with Theresa May and the government - and this looks like a Tory plan that will make most people poorer,” Ms Wilmott said.

“And despite all of this, we still don’t have clarity on what she actually wants to achieve in terms of our future trading relationship with Europe. So despite the all the talk we still face uncertainty, putting even more jobs at risk.”