Theresa May rejects “desperate” claims she warned David Cameron against emergency brake on EU immigration

David Cameron and Theresa May - credit: PA

Theresa May has rejected “desperate” claims that she warned David Cameron against demanding an ‘emergency brake’ on immigration from the EU.

A book previewed yesterday claims she and then-foreign secretary Philip Hammond were branded “lily-livered” by Cameron for arguing German chancellor Angela Merkel would not back the ‘emergency brake’.

According to the account by Tim Shipman, serialised in the Sunday Times, Cameron told an aide he would have to resort to the “benefits plan,” adding: “If it wasn’t for my lily-livered cabinet colleagues...”

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The exchanges are said to have taken place in 2014, before the UK’s priorities for the renegotiation were announced.

But allies of the Prime Minister have released letters to The Times in which she urged Cameron to secure an emergency brake in his renegotiation with Brussels.

One is dated the week before the reported meeting, while the other was sent in May 2015, shortly after the general election when the Tories knew the referendum would take place.

“Theresa May highlighted how important it would be to secure real reform of free movement in the EU renegotiation, and that a more radical response was required,” a source told the paper.

“Specifically, the home secretary argued for an emergency brake, which would be crucial to help the UK cut numbers, while giving the public confidence that we are able to police our own borders.”

Of the 2014 discussion, another source said: “This was a meeting to discuss a single speech, not a policy.

“To suggest that it is evidence she took a soft line on immigration is just desperate.”

A spokesman for May yesterday denied any suggestion that she was not pushing for stronger restrictions on immigration.

“It is completely and utterly untrue to suggest that Theresa did not want immigration controls to be part of David Cameron’s EU renegotiation,” the spokesman said. 

“It is a matter of public and private, official record that she did want immigration controls to be a priority. And since becoming prime minister, she has made clear that following Brexit we will be able to control the number of people who come to Britain from the EU.”

Extracts of another book previewed yesterday also claimed May’s reticence to get involved in the EU referendum campaign left Cameron feeling “badly let down”.

Former No 10 communications director Sir Craig Oliver claims in the book that May refused 13 times to support the then-Prime Minister’s renegotiated deal with the EU until Cameron became “visibly wound up” and called her.

He also reveals that the morning after the referendum, Cameron said in No 10: “Well, that didn't go to plan.”