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Theresa May, in First Prime Minister’s Questions, Pledges Migration Cap Theresa May, in First Prime Minister’s Questions, Pledges Migration Cap
(about 1 hour later)
LONDON — Answering her first set of parliamentary questions as prime minister, Theresa May gave a combative performance against the Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, on Wednesday, but refused to give a clear picture of the relationship Britain will seek with the European Union following its referendum decision to quit the bloc. LONDON — Answering her first set of parliamentary questions as prime minister, Theresa May gave a combative performance against the Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, on Wednesday, but refused to give a clear picture of the relationship Britain will seek with the European Union after its referendum decision to quit the bloc.
Speaking ahead of a meeting in Berlin with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, Mrs. May, recommitted herself to her Conservative Party’s target of reducing net immigration to below 100,000 a year — though she conceded that it would “take time to reach that goal,” and appeared to backtrack from an earlier objective of achieving it by 2020. Speaking ahead of a meeting in Berlin with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, Mrs. May recommitted herself to her Conservative Party’s target of reducing net immigration to below 100,000 people a year — though she conceded that it would “take time to reach that goal,” and appeared to backtrack from an earlier objective of achieving it by 2020.
Migration was a central issue in last month’s referendum over membership in the European Union, which guarantees the right of free movement of people, capital, goods and services, and thereby made it impossible for Britain to stop Europeans from coming to the country for work. Migration was a central issue in last month’s referendum over membership in the European Union, which guarantees the right of free movement of people, capital, goods and services, and in that way made it impossible for Britain to stop Europeans from coming to the country for work.
Despite Mrs. May’s repetition of the migration target, which had been questioned by some of her senior colleagues, the time span over which she intends to hit it remained vague.Despite Mrs. May’s repetition of the migration target, which had been questioned by some of her senior colleagues, the time span over which she intends to hit it remained vague.
In Parliament Mrs. May struck a confident, sometimes acerbic, tone and, to cheers from her own lawmakers, likened Mr. Corbyn to an “unscrupulous boss,” suggesting that his top tier of lawmakers had to “double their workload” while he “exploits the rules to further his own career.” In Parliament, Mrs. May struck a confident, sometimes acerbic, tone and, to cheers from her own lawmakers, likened Mr. Corbyn to an “unscrupulous boss,” suggesting that his top tier of lawmakers had to “double their workload” while he “exploits the rules to further his own career.”
Mr. Corbyn, who faces a leadership challenge from a Labour lawmaker, Owen Smith, has been hit by the mass resignation of many members of his senior team in Parliament, leading some of those who remain loyal to have more than one portfolio.Mr. Corbyn, who faces a leadership challenge from a Labour lawmaker, Owen Smith, has been hit by the mass resignation of many members of his senior team in Parliament, leading some of those who remain loyal to have more than one portfolio.
Mrs. May pointedly thanked Labour lawmakers who defied the views of Mr. Corbyn to vote alongside her on Monday to renew Britain’s Trident nuclear missile system.Mrs. May pointedly thanked Labour lawmakers who defied the views of Mr. Corbyn to vote alongside her on Monday to renew Britain’s Trident nuclear missile system.
And she referred to the fact that she is the Conservative Party’s — and the nation’s — second female prime minister (the first was Margaret Thatcher), saying that she had “long heard the Labour Party asking what the Conservative Party does for women” before adding that the answer was: “it just keeps making us prime minister.” And she referred to the fact that she is the Conservative Party’s — and the nation’s — second female prime minister (the first was Margaret Thatcher), saying that she had “long heard the Labour Party asking what the Conservative Party does for women” before adding the answer: “It just keeps making us prime minister.”
However Mrs. May avoided one question from Mr. Corbyn, who asked her about past comments made her foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, about President Obama’s “part-Kenyan” heritage and a reference to Africans as “pickaninnies,” a derogatory word for black children.However Mrs. May avoided one question from Mr. Corbyn, who asked her about past comments made her foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, about President Obama’s “part-Kenyan” heritage and a reference to Africans as “pickaninnies,” a derogatory word for black children.
Before Mrs. May flew to Berlin, her office released a statement saying that Britain was relinquishing its turn to hold the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, the body where national governments meet, which was scheduled for the second half of next year. That move was almost inevitable, given the British intention to quit the bloc. Before Mrs. May flew to Berlin, her office released a statement saying that Britain was relinquishing its turn to hold the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, where national governments meet, which was scheduled for the second half of next year. That move was almost inevitable, given the British intention to quit the bloc.
Mrs. May hopes to strike up a solid working relationship with her German counterpart, who will play a leading role in the deal which Britain wants to strike over its exit from the European Union. But Wednesday’s talks are unlikely to get into any significant detail, officially at least. On Thursday, Mrs. May will hold talks in Paris with President François Hollande of France. Mrs. May hopes to strike up a solid working relationship with her German counterpart, who will play a leading role in the deal which Britain wants to strike over its exit from the European Union. But Wednesday’s talks are unlikely to get into any significant detail, officially at least. On Thursday, Mrs. May meet in Paris with President François Hollande of France.
In Parliament, Mrs. May refused to be drawn in over one of the crucial issues: whether Britain would seek to retain access to the European Union’s single market for goods and services. Most British exporters and much of its financial sector regards this as a priority, but countries that have full access usually have to agree to respect the free movement of workers as a quid pro quo – something Mrs. May is under pressure to reject following the referendum. In Parliament, Mrs. May refused to be drawn in over one of the crucial issues: whether Britain would seek to retain access to the European Union’s single market for goods and services. Most British exporters and much of its financial sector regards this as a priority, but countries that have full access usually have to agree to respect the free movement of workers as a quid pro quo – something Mrs. May is under pressure to reject after the referendum.
Asked by a veteran Conservative lawmaker, Edward Leigh, whether she was willing to “reject staying in the single regulated market and offering instead to our friends in Europe a free trade deal very much in their interests,” Mrs. May gave a cautious response. She will, she said, listen to what people say about controls on free movement, but aims to negotiate the “right deal and the best deal” over trade in goods and services.Asked by a veteran Conservative lawmaker, Edward Leigh, whether she was willing to “reject staying in the single regulated market and offering instead to our friends in Europe a free trade deal very much in their interests,” Mrs. May gave a cautious response. She will, she said, listen to what people say about controls on free movement, but aims to negotiate the “right deal and the best deal” over trade in goods and services.
Mr. Corbyn attacked what he described as failed Conservative economic policies that had made people poorer, prompting Mrs. May to respond: “He calls it austerity. I call it living within our means.”Mr. Corbyn attacked what he described as failed Conservative economic policies that had made people poorer, prompting Mrs. May to respond: “He calls it austerity. I call it living within our means.”