Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, has told United Kingdom prime minister Theresa May to invoke Article 50 as soon as possible so the two parties can begin formal negotiations on Britain’s exit from the EU.
Advertisement
Mr Tusk is holding a series of meetings with leaders ahead of an informal summit of 27 European Union heads of state and government in Bratislava later this month.
“It doesn t mean that we are going to discuss our future relations with the United Kingdom in Bratislava, because for this. we need the formal notification, I mean triggering Article 50” of the European Union s Lisbon Treaty, Tusk said at the start of the Downing Street meeting.
“I hope our party clarifies its position in support of United Kingdom membership of the single market, and continued close engagement with Europe”. Ball in United Kingdom court to start negotiations.
“I’m sorry to say that in her first PMQs in July, you put Theresa May under no pressure at all”, wrote Mr Smith to the Labour leader.
But she is anxious that this process is managed and does not end in a complete breach with Europe-especially under conditions where she was subjected to public rebuke over Brexit’s impact on British trade relations and its global standing by US President Barack Obama at the G20.
May, who was briefing parliament on Britain’s vote to exit the EU and the G20 Summit in China, consistently refused to be drawn on MPs’ key question whether her government will aim to remain in the European Single Market.
Britain would be strong player while it remains in European Union.
“We will not take decisions until we are ready, we will not reveal our hand prematurely and we will not provide a running commentary on every twist and turn of the negotiations”.
In his first update to the House of Commons on progress in preparing for withdrawal from the EU, Mr Davis was asked whether the United Kingdom could remain a member of the single market – something which is regarded as vital by many members of the business community, who fear tariffs on exported goods and services if Britain is excluded.
In her statement, the Conservative leader said her aim was to get an “ambitious and bold” deal for Britain.
On Thursday, EU financial services commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis reaffirmed Brussels’ position, warning that Britain’s financial industry would be weakened without access to the single market.
Mrs May’s spokeswoman said Mr Davis was expressing a personal opinion on the single market rather than official policy.
A spokeswoman for May said that the British prime minister stressed to work together with Tusk so that there was a “smooth process” for leaving EU.
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, accused the Government of issuing “contradictory messages” on the issue, exacerbating the “huge uncertainty” about the UK’s future.
Mr Davis updated MPs on the progress made since the shock referendum result in June but faced claims the Government is “making it up as it goes along”.
Advertisement
“Britain could be a beacon for free trade across the world and a more glorious country with an immigration system that controlled the numbers but also encouraged the brightest and best to come”, he said.
