Theresa May refuses to say whether Britain will stay in the EU single market or not

The Prime Minister dodged the question

Theresa May has refused to say whether Britain will remain in the European single market after it leaves the EU.

The Prime Minister refused to give a “running commentary” on negotiations, explaining only that she would get the “right deal” on the issue.

She repeated a pledge to introduce control on the free movement of people from the EU but gave no indication of her position on the customs union.

“What I want for the UK is that we put into practice the vote that was taken by the people of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, that we get the right deal for the trade of goods and services with the EU in a new relationship that we’re building with them, and that we get control of the movement of people from the EU to the UK,” she said in response to a question at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Angus Robertson, the SNP’s leader at Westminster, accused the PM of “waffle” and not giving a clear answer on the issue.

“I asked the Prime Minister a very, very simple question,” he said, repeating his question – but Ms May repeated her answer.

In her statement to the House of Commons on the weekend’s G20 meeting, she elaborated on her reasoning for the lack of transparency: “We will not take decisions until we are ready and we will not reveal our hand prematurely,” she said.

In response to a later question the Prime Minister also confirmed she believed invoking Article 50 was a “prerogative power” meaning Parliament did not need to be consulted before the leaving process began.

Jeremy Corbyn added in response: “Can the Prime Minister tell the House what the Government’s position actually is?”

There were signs of splits in the Cabinet over Brexit yesterday after Downing Street dismissed claims Britain would not stay in the single market by the minister for leaving the EU as “his opinion” and “not necessarily policy”.

He had told the House of Commons on Monday that it was “very improbable” that the UK would stay in the single market.

Ms May has also ruled out introducing a points-based immigration system as proposed by Vote Leave and Boris Johnson during the EU referendum campaign.