May pledges to take constructive approach to Brexit talks

Theresa May has promised to take a constructive approach to Brexit talks as she set out her negotiating stance in a letter to European Council president Donald Tusk and a statement to MPs. As she triggered article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and two years of negotiations with the EU on Wednesday, the prime minister said it was in Britain's interest for the EU to succeed and prosper.

Ms May reaffirmed Britain’s intention to leave the European single market and end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Britain. But she appeared to accept that Britain will have to pay a bill on leaving the EU in “a fair settlement of the UK’s rights and obligations as a departing member state”.

In her letter to Mr Tusk, the prime minister also acknowledged the need for transitional arrangements after Britain leaves the EU, suggesting that the details of new trading arrangements could be negotiated after Brexit if their outline was agreed beforehand.

“We recognise that it will be a challenge to reach such a comprehensive agreement within the two-year period set out for withdrawal discussions in the treaty. But we believe it is necessary to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the EU,” she said.

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Peace process

She identified the peace process in Northern

Ireland

and Britain’s unique relationship with Ireland among her priorities, telling Mr Tusk that Brexit should bring no harm to Ireland.

"The Republic of Ireland is the only EU member state with a land border with the United Kingdom. We want to avoid a return to a hard border between our two countries, to be able to maintain the Common Travel Area between us, and to make sure that the UK's withdrawal from the EU does not harm the Republic of Ireland," she said.

The prime minister said she wanted to reach a satisfactory deal within two years, warning that failure to do so could weaken Britain's security co-operation with Europe.

Conservatives welcomed the start of the two-year countdown to leaving the EU and Jeremy Corbyn said Labour would back Ms May if she secured full access to the single market and protected workers' rights. But Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron promised that his party would not "roll over", telling the prime minister that she was not enacting the will of the British people, only her interpretation of the Brexit vote.

“Our children and grandchildren will judge all of us for our actions during these times. I am determined to be able to look my children in the eye and say that I did everything to prevent this calamity that the prime minister has today chosen,” he said.

Opposing positions

Northern Ireland MPs took opposing positions, with unionists welcoming the prime minister’s statement while the SDLP warned of the dangers Brexit posed to Northern Ireland.

The Scottish National Party's Angus Robertson accused Ms May of imposing Brexit on Scotland, which voted to remain in the EU, and of breaking a promise to agree a UK-wide approach before triggering article 50. He said that Conservative MPs were ignoring the will of the Scottish people, expressed in the referendum, in the Scottish Parliament, by the Scottish government and by Scottish MPs at Westminster.

“Conservative members do not seem to understand that the United Kingdom is a multinational state with four nations, two of which voted to stay and two of which voted to leave. All the rhetoric from the government benches does not paper over the gaping chasm showing that there is not unity in this so-called United Kingdom on this issue,” he said.