The government should pull out all the stops to ensure that businesses leaving the UK make their way to Malta, Opposition leader Simon Busuttil said yesterday.

He was reacting to a speech by UK Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday, in which Mrs May announced that the UK would not be pursuing membership of the EU single market as part of Brexit negotiations.

In a long-awaited speech outlining her government's Brexit plans, Ms May said that the country would instead seek a ‘comprehensive free trade agreement’ with the EU as well as a customs agreement that would allow Britain to have tariff-free access to EU markets.

I really hope that our government not only has a plan in place but is implementing it

Dr Busuttil said that seeing the UK Prime Minister lay down such plans was a sad moment,  but he urged the government to seize the opportunity and work on getting those businesses leaving the UK to come to Malta.

READ: UK to quit EU single market, says Theresa May

“I really hope that our government not only has a plan in place but is implementing it and is working on how to make sure that any people now considering leaving the UK actually make their way here. This is something that we, as a party really want to do,” Dr Busuttil said.

The Nationalist Party, he continued, always had the vision to be part of the rest of the world and not be isolated, adding that the PN had always worked to be a part of the EU and to exploit the single market fully.