What is Theresa May’s ‘clean Brexit’, what are the EU battle plans ministers are drawing up and when was Article 50 triggered?
THERESA May has triggered Article 50 after a marathon battle with Parliament to begin the process of exiting the EU.
Lords defied the PM by adding changes to the Brexit bill but the conditions were thrown out by the House of Commons and on March 29 Article 50 was invoked.
So what battle plans are ministers drawing up?
It's believed Britain will only land a good trade deal if the remaining 27 members believe we really are prepared to go it alone without any agreement.
That means publicly drawing up a huge raft of fresh regulations to persuade businesses to stay – from big corporation tax cuts to a new immigration system – to be enforced by April 2019.
Davis dubbed the planning as “the most important peacetime operation” that the government has ever mounted.
The PM’s official spokesman said: “The message was that we are not going to fail, but it is important that departments understand the challenges ahead”.
The moves comes after the House of Lords threw a spanner in the works by voting to tweak the Brexit Bill.
When was Article 50 triggered?
The formal Article 50 exit notification was triggered on March 29, after senior Foreign Office officials couriered the letter from the PM under tight security to the office of the UK’s representative to the EU in Brussels, Sir Tim Barrow.
Sir Tim made the short 150 metre journey to the EU Council’s HQ to deliver it by hand.
The landmark decision means the UK will leave the EU by March 29, 2019.
The Sun understands that despite speculation the Prime Minister was never planning to kick-start our EU exit before the end of March.
May has said she would rather take the UK out of the EU with no deal rather than a "bad deal".
The crucial votes on March 13 were taking place against the backdrop of an announcement by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that she intends to trigger a second independence referendum between the completion of Brexit negotiations in autumn 2018 and the expected date of withdrawal in spring 2019.
What does a clean Brexit mean?
Also known as a hard Brexit, it means Britain will not remain a part of Europe's single market.
The customs union of European nations allows free trade between its members, but also free passage for economic migrants between those countries.
That free movement of labour, a driver of immigration numbers, was a key sticking point in the run up to the EU referendum.
Remaining in the single market has been viewed as a half-in, half-out means of staying in Europe without the commitment of EU membership.
Alternatively, a clean Brexit would see Britain leave the trade agreement completely, allowing it to strike up deals with other nations around the globe.
Mrs May will insist: "The United Kingdom is leaving the European Union.
“Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out."
What is the difference between a hard and soft Brexit?
Pro-EU politicians hope Britain retains links with the EU by staying as part of the EU trade deal.
It would see the country retain free trade links with Europe and allow the free movement of labour around the continent's member states.
Anti-EU voices insist a hard Brexit must be met to satisfy the wishes of the Brexit referendum vote.
That would mean Britain severs all formal free trade ties with the continent, leaving it free to negotiate new trade links with countries including the USA, China, India and Commonwealth states.
