Theresa May will vow to end the European Court of Justice’s rule over Britain in crunch Brexit speech next week
It follows a claim from Malta’s Premier on Thursday that the ECJ would continue to "dish out" judgements to the UK as part of any transitional deal
THERESA MAY will next week vow to end the European Court of Justice’s influence over Britain in a crunch Brexit speech.
The PM will insist the European Court will lose any control of British affairs from the moment the UK leaves in Spring 2019.
It follows a claim from Malta’s Premier on Thursday that the ECJ would continue to "dish out" judgements to the UK as part of any transitional deal.
Joseph Muscat enraged Brexiteers with the claim - with one Tory MP yesterday dismissing Malta as a “tiny little island”.
The PM’s eagerly awaited speech is being seen as the first time Mrs May spells out her vision for EU divorce talks in any detail.
Speaking after a Downing Street meeting with New Zealand’s PM yesterday Mrs May promised her address would lay out her "objectives" for the negotiations.
She said they would centre on creating a "new constructive partnership with the European Union that makes sense for us all".
Details on a new immigration system to finally slash EU arrivals are also expected to be unveiled.
Sources last night claimed that Mrs May wants to reassure Brits who voted Remain that she will also be looking after their interests.
But she is expected to once more insist Britain takes back control its borders, laws and the money we send to Brussels.
At her Tory conference speech in October Mrs May promised: "We are not leaving only to return to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice."
Former Justice Secretary Michael Gove has urged Mrs May to end all speculation once and for all by committing to leaving the EU single market and the customs union. He said: "We need a full Brexit, not a fake Brexit."
But one senior source said he believe Theresa May was "too cautious" to make such a commitment before triggering EU divorce talks by invoking Article 50.
The source said: "I’m not quite sure if Theresa May is ready to go that far just yet. We may get a lot more ‘process’ instead, her thinking about how we actually go about triggering Article 50 rather than the substance of what we want to achieve."
No.10 refused to comment.
On Thursday, Maltese PM Joseph Muscat said he believed Britain would remain under the control of European courts well into the 2020s.
He said it was inevitable if Brexit Britain wanted transitional agreements to help important sectors of the economy time to adapt to any divorce deal.
Malta’s finance minister Edward Scicluna added that he was sure Britain would “blink first” in Brexit talks. Malta has just taken on the rotating EU presidency.
Brexit backing Tory MP Bernard Jenkin said an extended period of transition was the "worst possible scenario" for the UK and the EU.
He added: "What you’ve got is a Maltese Prime Minister who is anxious to scoop for his tiny little island some of the spoils that he believes will fall out of Brexit."