Prime Minister: Britain’s Future is ‘Full of Promise’

Prime Minister Theresa May will today tell Conservative conference Britain’s post-Brexit future is “full of promise” because the country has “everything we need to succeed”.

In a speech entitled "Our Future Is In Our Hands", the Prime Minister will tell delegates in Birmingham that Britain’s “best days lie ahead of us” as countries across the world stand ready to trade with the UK.

“I passionately believe that our best days lie ahead of us and that our future is full of promise,” she will say.

“Don’t let anyone tell you we don’t have what it takes: we have everything we need to succeed.”

The Prime Minister will tell delegates that at this “moment of opportunity” the Conservatives will always act in the “national interest” and put the needs of hard-working people first.

The Prime Minister will launch a scathing attack on Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour party and call for a return to decency in political discourse.

“Millions of people who have never supported our party in the past are appalled by what Jeremy Corbyn has done to Labour,” she will say.

“They want to support a party that is decent, moderate and patriotic. One that puts the national interest first. Delivers on the issues they care about. And is comfortable with modern Britain in all its diversity.

“We must show everyone in this country that we are that party.

“A party that conserves the best of our inheritance but is not afraid of change. A party of patriotism but not nationalism. A party that believes in business but is not afraid to hold businesses to account.

“A party that believes in the good that government can do but knows that government will never have all the answers. A party that believes your success in life should not be defined by who you love, your faith, the colour of your skin, who your parents were, or where you were raised – but by your talent and hard work.

“Above all a party of Unionism, not just of four proud nations, but of all our people.

“A party not for the few, not even for the many, but for everyone who is willing to work hard and do their best.”

Laura Kuenssberg’s Interview with Prime Minister Theresa May on BBC News

Laura: [00:00:08] Firstly Prime Minister, did you watch Boris Johnson speech this afternoon?

Theresa May: [00:00:10] No this afternoon I've been meeting activists. I've been talking to people about the conference and I've been seeing a party that is in really good heart.

Laura: [00:00:20] Well people were certainly in good heart in the Boris Johnson speech more than a thousand people cheered him for suggesting demanding that you drop your Chequer's compromise plan. He said it's not democracy if you continue?

Theresa May: [00:00:33] Well first of all there's one thing we all know about Boris is that he'll put on a good show. But what we've been doing here at conference of course and I think what matters to people out there is what the government does and what we focus on in terms of their day to day lives and what really matters to them. And the point about the proposal we've put forward on Brexit is that it delivers on what people voted for in the Brexit vote. It delivers an end to free movement that we won't be sending we take control of our money back but we won't be spending vast annual sums to the EU. We will take control of our laws we won't be under the jurisdiction of the European Court. But it does it in a way that also protects jobs and that's about something that matters to people on, in their day to day in day to day lives.

Laura: [00:01:14] But this is not just about Boris Johnson putting on a good show. There is more than a few people grumbling at the edges of your party. They were MPs in their also cheering him as he said that your Chequer's proposal is an outrage. How do you respond to that?

Theresa May: [00:01:28] Oh the cheque. Let's just step back and look at why we put the Chequer's proposal forward. The European Union has made effectively put two options on the table, neither of which is acceptable to the United Kingdom. The first would effectively not deliver on the vote of the referendum by keeping us in the Customs Union, single market, not bringing a proper end to free movement. The second would effectively break up our country. Now we could have said well let's see if we can accept one of those. Well I didn't. We said no. We are going to say to the European Union we don't accept what you've put on the table, we will put a further further proposal forward which is the Chequer's plan. That plan what it does is it delivers on the vote for the British people it brings an end to free movement. We've announced a new immigration policy today.

Laura: [00:02:16] we'll come to that in a second.

Theresa May: [00:02:16] Free movement will end once and for all. It brings out of control of our laws but it does it in a way that protects the union of the United Kingdom ensures we have no hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland and ensures that we protect jobs here in the UK. But that's what the Cheuqers plan is about. It's a good deal for Britain.

Laura: [00:02:34] But Prime Minister this is the man who whom until very recently you trusted to be your foreign secretary to hold one of the great offices of state coming into your conference and telling delegates many of whom agree with him, many MPs who agree with him, that your proposals are an outrage. Now is it time directly not to just say he puts on a good show but do you want to just directly stand up to him what would you say if he was sitting right here.

Theresa May: [00:03:02] Well first of all of course Boris when he was foreign secretary signed up to the Chequer's plan and then a few days later resigned from the cabinet. But what I would say to anybody who asks me about the Chequers plan is what I've just said to you.

Laura: [00:03:16] but he's directly challenging your authority Prime Mininster.

Theresa May: [00:03:19] No what is important for people who are listening what is important for people in their day to day lives is that the government is putting the national interest first both in what we do on Brexit but also what we do on our domestic agenda. On Brexit what we have done is put forward a proposal that does reflect it respects it delivers on the vote that the British people gave leaving the European Union doing so in a way that takes back control of our money, of our laws and of our borders. And all the other things like coming out of the Common Agricultural Policy and the common fisheries problem. But it does it in a way which has a free trade area and frictionless trade at its heart. That means we can deliver for the people of Northern Ireland as we deliver for the rest of the UK. And it means we protect jobs.

Laura: [00:04:07] But Prime Minister in order to deliver on that plan you need the authority you need your party behind you, you will then need parliament behind you. Boris Johnson has come here today and trampled all over that. You must be cross. How can you put up with it?

Theresa May: [00:04:22] Well there are one or two things that Boris said that I am cross about. He wanted to tear up our guarantee you to the people of Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. You know we are all, he and I, all members here are members of the Conservative and Unionist Party. That's because we believe that the union of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland is part of that union. And we have a guarantee for the people of Northern Ireland and we are upholding that. Our Chequer's plan does that it’s the only plan on the table at the moment that does.

Laura: [00:04:54] Do you think that Boris Johnson could ever be prime minister?

Theresa May: [00:04:59] I'm not I'm not speculating about or commenting about jobs

Laura: [00:05:03] your chancellor has.

Theresa May: [00:05:04] For individual members of parliament this is not about the jobs of politicians. This is about the jobs of people out there in our country. It's about protecting those jobs for the future. It's about ensuring that when we leave the European Union we get the best deal for our future trade with Europe . But that as well as doing that we're able to trade around the rest of the world. We can enhance the economy here, improve the economy, bring prosperity to our country.

Laura: [00:05:35] You sound angry?

Theresa May: [00:05:35] That's what I'm thinking about.

Laura: [00:05:36] You sound angry with him then that he is playing this political game while you're trying to navigate the country through one of the most complicated political task in decades.

Theresa May: [00:05:45] What I feel most strongly about is putting the national interest first. What I feel most strongly about is working to ensure that we get the best possible deal from the European Union in terms of our relationship with them in the future when we leave and that's what I am focused on. That's what the government is focusing on now alongside all the things we're doing to deal with the day to day issues that matter to people like housing, the NHS, the quality of education in our schools.

Laura: [00:06:11] And of course on immigration - and you setting out your new policy today - Do you think ordinary people will feel a difference when they look at the country after your new immigration policy has been brought in.

Theresa May: [00:06:23] I think people will feel a difference because they will know that for the first time in decades it is the UK government that is deciding who can come into the country. Because we will be bringing an end to free movement once and for all. So we will be able to decide the basis on which people come to the UK. That hasn't been possible for many years for people coming from the EU. That will change.

Laura: [00:06:47] And just finally one of the things that there will be discussions about - the so-called mobility partnerships where in specific cases there may be access to the UK for various groups of workers. Can you now put a number in limits on the number of people who might be able to come in through those kinds of arrangements. And if you can't, how is that taking back control?

Theresa May: [00:07:10] Well, it's taking back - taking back control is about the UK making decisions about the basis on which people can come here. Now often people mix up the mobility arrangements that are in all free trade agreements so you have free trade agreements with any country around the world will have an element of this mobility. That's not about people coming to the UK for long term to work to and possibly to settle into the country, that's covered by our immigration rules. What the mobility arrangements will be about is things like short term business visitors and ensuring that they're able to move on a basis that makes sense for both sides in that sort of trade arrangement. Now that's common sense. We're not talking about preferential treatment for the EU or preferential treatment for another country. We're talking about these being elements in any trade agreement that we do.

Laura: Prime Minister thank you very much indeed. Thank you.