Nigel Farage feels BETRAYED by David Davis over open borders to EU migrants after Brexit
NIGEL FARAGE has blasted David Davis after the Tory MP warned EU labour will be needed for years after Brexit.
Farage RAGES at David Davis over open border comments
The former Ukip leader said he felt “betrayed” and “astonished” by the Brexit Secretary’s remarks that low-skilled EU migrant labour would continue for “years and years” after the UK leaves the EU.
Speaking on his LBC show yesterday, Nigel Farage said controlling Britain’s borders was the key point to leave the bloc and he could “scarcely believe” Mr Davis’ comments.
He said: “A man that I campaigned with, I shared platforms with during the referendum campaign, the man that I thought was the ultimate hardliner in this government, the man that would absolutely guarantee that Brexit meant Brexit has said in a speech in Riga, Latvia that British people need a lot of persuading.
Nigel Farage said he felt "betrayed" over David Davis' comments
I am astonished that of all the people it’s David Davis that has said this
“It would indeed take years and years to get them to do the jobs currently done by EU workers and he would only restrict free movement of people when it was in the national interest.
“Now I can scarcely believe that these arguments have come from David Davis because it seemed to me that the main reason above all that we voted to leave the European Union is we wanted to get back control of our lives and, in particular, control of our borders because unrestricted free flow of unskilled labour had driven down wages, had made it tough to get a GP appointment, to get our kids into the right school.
‘I am astonished that of all the people it’s David Davis that has said this. I assume if we mean we’re going to continue with free movement of people, we mean free access to the health service, free education system for people’s children.
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“I just wonder, whether like me, you feel a little bit betrayed by what’s been said by David Davis of all people.”
During a visit to Estonia, the EU Exit Secretary insisted the Government was not about to "suddenly shut the door" on foreign workers when the country leaves the bloc.
Also he expected it to take several years before British-born workers were ready to take over many of the jobs currently done by migrants.
Mr Davis made the remarks during a visit to Latvia as part of a diplomatic tour to explain Theresa May's EU departure plan to senior ministers in other European governments.
But former Tory minister Iain Duncan Smith, a leading figure in the campaign to quit the European Union, insisted home-grown workers could take over the migrant jobs on a much speedier timescale than that forecast by Mr Davis.
Mr Duncan Smith said: "My sense is that it is going to happen quicker than that."