Britain ‘must accept EU citizens’ right to work in UK for single market access’ – WBNews

Britain will only be allowed to retain access to the single market if it accepts the right of EU citizens to work in the UK, the leaders of Slovakia and the Czech Republic have insisted. After meeting in the Slovak capital Bratislava, Robert Fico and Bohuslav Sobotka said they “can’t imagine” their citizens would not receive equal treatment after Britain exits the EU. Slovak PM Mr Fico, whose government currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, said he “will fight hard” for the rights of some 70,000 of his countrymen and women residing in the UK. The leaders of Slovakia and the Czech Republic have spoken out over Brexit Mr Sobotka said the EU needed to stand united in negotiations over the UK’s Brexit “divorce deal” with the rest of the bloc. The warning came after Downing Street insisted Brexit would lead to London being able to control the number of people coming to the UK from the EU. Number 10 also described reports the Government had settled on a “hard Brexit” negotiating stance as “speculation” ahead of a keynote address to the World Trade Organisation by International Trade Secretary Liam Fox in Switzerland on Tuesday. Immigration has returned to the top of the political agenda after Theresa May’s supporters hit back at claims she was branded “lily-livered” by David Cameron after she scuppered his plans for tough new controls on the movement of EU labour to the UK. Mrs May’s camp took the unusual step of releasing details…more detail