“A points-based system will not work and is not an option”, said a spokesman for the Prime Minister.
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“A points-based system means that people come in automatically if they just meet the criteria”.
And now Downing Street has moved to entirely ruled out a new system based around awarding points for categories of migrants based on various criteria, including working history.
Mrs May said that as Home Secretary she was told by immigration officers that the most important thing the Government should focus on was students who had met the criteria to come to the United Kingdom but did not appear to be heading for a genuine course.
May was already issuing cautious noises on the plan overnight, telling reporters at the G20 that a points system, would not be a silver bullet.
“I want a system where the government is able to decide who comes into the country”.
“Yes, the voters’ message on June 23 was clearly that they didn’t want to see free movement continuing as it has done up to now”.
Nigel Farage, the former Ukip leader, and other senior figures from the campaign to leave the European Union said that they were “worried” about Mrs May’s approach.
However, Mrs May also said five times that she only wanted “some” or an “element” of control over free movement of European Union migrants.
She added that the proposal by Japanese technology company SoftBank to buy Britain’s ARM Holdings for $32 billion was “the single biggest vote of confidence we have had in (Britain) in terms of inward investment since the referendum”. “Any watering down from that will lead to real anger”. “The simple truth is, if a requirement of membership is giving up control of our borders, I think that makes it very improbable”. SNP MPs heckled him with cries of “is that it?” while Anna Soubry also joined in from the Tory backbenches, insisting that MPs had been left “none the wiser about the government’s plans”.
Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary and Priti Patel, the Development Secretary, are among those who previously voiced their support for the points-based system.
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Mrs May was also forced to defend the fact that the level of migration rose significantly while she was Home Secretary. “All of this is going to have to be negotiated with our European partners, but we should go after the best deal we can”. They have subsequently risen.
