Tuesday, 26 Nov 2024

Brexit fury: How ‘detached’ Amber Rudd sparked criticism with EU registration claim

On Saturday evening, Amber Rudd quit Boris Johnson’s Cabinet, citing Brexit inaction. The ex-Work and Pensions secretary said the Government was having “no formal negotiations” with the EU about a new deal, only “conversations”. She also said expelling the 21 Tory rebels risked driving moderate Conservatives away from the party.

Ms Rudd, who was seen as a leading pro-European voice in the Government, wrote in her resignation letter: “I joined your cabinet in good faith: accepting that no deal had to be on the table, because it was the means by which we would have the best chance of achieving a new deal to leave on October 31.

“However, I no longer believe leaving with a deal is the Government’s main objective.”

Home Secretary Sajid Javid responded to Ms Rudd’s resignation on the Andrew Marr show on Sunday, claiming that actually, there had been “progress” in talks with the EU.

However, he said it would be “madness” to talk through the details of the Government’s proposals openly.

He said: “Anyone who understands how negotiation works, you would not discuss those in public.”

As Westminster gears up for another tumultuous week, a newly-resurfaced report sheds some light on Ms Rudd’s time as the Home Secretary, under Theresa May’s leadership.

According to 2018 report by The Financial Times, Ms Rudd sparked widespread criticism after she compared the post-Brexit scheme for European nationals to shopping online.

During a private business dinner, the then Home Secretary said the application system for EU nationals seeking to remain in the UK after Brexit was going to be “as easy as setting up an online account at LK Bennett”.

LK Bennett describes itself as an “affordable luxury brand”, selling shoes, clothes, handbags and accessories.

It is a favourite of a number of high-profile women, including Theresa May and the Duchess of Cambridge.

Ms Rudd reportedly made the comments as she told business leaders at a meeting in London that her department was taking steps to ensure a smooth and easy registration of EU nationals using a digital system.

The campaign organisation “the 3 million”, which represents EU citizens living in the UK, accused Rudd of trivialising the application process.

In a statement, the organisation said: “We had to Google LK Bennett, a popular chain with the upper middle class.

“It just shows how detached the Government is from the real concerns of average EU citizens.”

The registration scheme proved to be nothing but easy, with many European citizens describing it as “confusing” and “frustrating”.

At the end of April 2018, Ms Rudd resigned as Home Secretary after she was accused of misleading the Home Affairs Select Committee on deportation targets.

Later in the same day, Sajid Javid was appointed as her successor.

Source: Read Full Article

Related Posts