Reacting to Theresa May’s speech outlining the UK’s objectives in the upcoming Brexit negotiations, S&D Group vice-president Jeppe Kofod MEP said:

“Finally Theresa May has said more than just ‘Brexit means Brexit’. However there are serious problems with a lot of what she outlined in yesterday’s speech.  We will not allow the UK’s eventual new trading relationship with the EU to undercut worker’s rights, social or environmental protections. If the UK wants to continue to sell products into the EU market without tariffs or barriers then they will have to continue to respect EU standards in all these areas.

“Regarding the intention to end free movement of people, it is a sad day for us. This means that the next generation of UK citizens will have fewer rights to travel, live and work in other EU countries than their parents did. The logical conclusion to May’s position would be a reintroduction of some form of work permits or visas, meaning more bureaucracy and less freedom for everyone. For us this is the opposite of progress, we need her to clarify exactly how she sees this working in practice. The S&D Group will work for solutions that are mutually beneficial for both EU and UK citizens.

"As the European Parliament will have a veto on the final agreement it is vital that the Parliament is involved throughout the negotiation period."