Brexit must mean an end to free movement, Downing Street says

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Brexit must involve “controls on the numbers of people who come to Britain from Europe”, Downing Street has said.

The announcement came after a meeting to discuss the UK’s strategy for leaving the EU. 

Theresa May asked members of the Cabinet at Chequers to set out ideas on how to make the referendum result work.

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So far the Prime Minister has said Article 50, the formal mechanism to begin a two-year window of negotiations for leaving the European Union, will be triggered at the start of next year.

But ministers had not previously offered details on issues including the UK’s future trade relationship with the bloc and the rights of EU nationals already living in Britain.

A statement after yesterday’s meeting suggests the UK will not seek to remain a member of the European Economic Area, which requires participating states to accept free movement rules.

“Several Cabinet members made it clear that we are leaving the EU but not leaving Europe, with a decisive view that the model we are seeking is one unique to the United Kingdom and not an off the shelf solution,” a No 10 spokesperson said.

“This must mean controls on the numbers of people who come to Britain from Europe but also a positive outcome for those who wish to trade goods and services. 

“On the agenda and discussed at length was the commitment to the Devolved Nations to make sure that Brexit works for all - but Cabinet members were clear that it is the United Kingdom's Government's decision to establish its terms and on when to trigger Article 50.”

The spokesperson added that the Cabinet had agreed there was “no need for a parliamentary vote” to trigger Article 50.

May had previously been urged by two former ministers to be wary of withdrawing from the EEA.

Anna Soubry said some British businesses “could not survive” without the free movement of people from other EU member states.

And Hugo Swire, until recently a Foreign Office minister, said there was a “fault line” within the Government and Conservative party about remaining a member of the EEA and curbing free movement.

The issue of Brexit is likely to dominate the Conservative conference in Birmingham at the start of October.

Patrick McLoughlin, the Tory party chairman, told the ministers at Chequers that the first day of the event would be dedicated to “global Britain – showing that we are more outward looking than ever before”.

He also revealed that the slogan for this year’s conference would be “A country that works for everyone”, and confirmed reports that Tory membership had grown by almost 50,000 over the course of the summer.