Britain, EU should work together for smooth divorce, says UK PM May

In a speech made on Monday in the House of Commons, David Davis – the Secretary of State for the Department for Exiting the European Union – confirmed that following the vote by the British population to leave the EU, the United Kingdom will not “attempt to stay in the EU by the back door”.

Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn said there was “huge uncertainty” and an “extraordinary lack of planning”, warning also about rising levels of hate crimes against European Union immigrants.

Mrs May was pursuing a “free trade dogma” rather than a trade policy which would protect people and jobs, he told MPs.

That prompted the Labour leader’s team to stress that he backed “full access” to the single market for goods and services but opposed certain directives linked to it, such as state aid rules and requirements to deregulate and privatise public services.

“First and foremost, we demand that the British people should have their say on the final deal in a referendum”, Farron said in an article issued by The Guardian. “And the Australian Trade Minister will visit the UK this week to take part in exploratory discussions on the shape of a UK-Australia trade deal”, she told a press conference.

According to European Union officials, formal negotiations with Brussels itself can not start until London triggers Article 50, the treaty provision governing its up to two-year-long departure from the grouping.

After the meeting, which lasted more than hour, the PM’s official spokeswoman played down suggestions Mr Tusk was putting pressure on Mrs May to hasten Article 50 being invoked.

“We had negotiated the European Economic Area, and we are paying large sums of money to the European Union for having the benefits of the internal market”, she said.

Chancellor Philip Hammond, meanwhile, is meeting top City figures, including the CEO of the London Stock Exchange Group and the chairman of HSBC and Barclays, to discuss Brexit.

“That is why I am determined to listen to what the industry has to say on key issues, like access to the single market”.

Mr Robertson claimed so far the Government had only come up with “waffle” about the post-Brexit plan.

The EU president said he aimed to establish the “best possible relations” with the UK.

They are expected to discuss Brexit, migration, trade and Ukraine over a working breakfast.

But these talks could be important because they could help to set the tone for the opening phase of the more serious negotiations on Brexit whenever they might begin – and when they do it’s worth noting Mr Tusk will be representing the interests of the 27 states remaining in the European Union, rather than the one that’s leaving.