MICHEAL GOVE has signalled the Government will still keep the door open to EU migrants after Brexit - to protect the UK economy.

The new Environment Secretary said this morning that "nobody wants zero migration" or the economy to be hurt as we gear up for our historic EU exit.

3 Micheal Gove said that jobs should be considered in Brexit talks Credit: BBC Radio 4

His words come after multiple Tories - including Chancellor Philip Hammond - have called for a rethink on the country's approach to Brexit after the election resulted in a hung parliament.

Mr Hammond said yesterday he believed that the Conservatives didn't talk about the economy enough during the campaign.

Last week he said: "My clear view, and I believe the view of the majority of people in Britain, is that we should prioritise protecting jobs, protecting economic growth, protecting prosperity as we enter those negotiations and take them forward."

3 Yesterday Philip Hammond warned taxes may have to go up to end austerity - and also stressed the need for a jobs-first approach Credit: PA

And this morning Mr Gove backed his claims that the economy should be given a high priority.

There are concerns that slashing immigration once we leave the EU will leave some vital services under-staffed.

But immigration was said to have played a major role in the referendum campaign - and why many people voted to leave last year.

The Conservatives have repeated promises to slash net migration down to below 100,000 per year.

Mr Gove, who played a key role in Vote Leave last year, said that he does "not think there's going to be tension between" managing migration and protecting jobs.

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He said: "Nobody wants zero migration, nobody wants to harm the economy. What we want is a balanced approach to migration. That is the prize we can have outside the EU.

"We can set migration policy in accordance with our economic and other needs."

He added that "net migration is already reducing" and he wanted to also make sure "the economy remains strong".

In the last set of immigration figures, the numbers had fallen to 273,000 net.

3 Chief negotiators David Davis, left, and Michel Barnier, right, meet on the first day of talks on June 19 Credit: EPA

Outside the EU he said that "people will have confidence that migration is being managed wisely in the interests both of the economy... and broader community cohesion".

"We want a deal which will allow us to take back control of our laws and our borders," he said, and vowed that Britain would not accept a poor deal from the EU.

Mr Gove, speaking days after he was welcomed back into the cabinet by Theresa May, said he was confident that the PM would stay in post until the end of the Brexit negotiations, around March 2019.

He said: "There is support across the Conservative party for Theresa and the position she outlined..."

The Brexiteer also suggested that food prices could drop after Brexit, which would reduce pressure on working families.