Theresa May to spell out her vision for Brexit Britain and future with EU in Italy
The Prime Minister's big speech will come days before crucial fourth round Brexit negotiations begin in Brussels
THERESA May will spell out her vision for Brexit Britain and our future ties with Europe in the ancient Italian city of Florence next week.
Taking personal control of the exit negotiations, the PM will fly out to the city known as a “historic trading power” on Friday September 22.
Her big speech will come just three days before the crucial fourth round of divorce talks begin in Brussels.
It comes amid warnings that progress in talks on the UK’s exit have been too slow for discussions to move on to the question of a future trading relationship as Britain desires.
Hoping to break the deadlock, No10 said the set piece would “update on Brexit negotiations so far” and it will “underline the Government’s wish for a deep and special partnership with the European Union once the UK leaves the EU”.
Explaining her choice of venue, Mrs May’s spokesman said: “The PM wanted to give a speech on the UK’s future relationship with Europe in its historical heart.
“The UK has had deep cultural and economic ties spanning centuries with Florence, a city known for its historical trading power.
“As the UK leaves the EU we will retain those close ties. As the Prime Minister has said many times, we are leaving the EU, not Europe.”
Ex-Brexit minister has demanded Theresa May break the deadlock with Brussels by agreeing to make EU payments until 2020 – 21 months after we leave.
Lord Bridges, who quit the Brexit department in June, said the Government must be “bolder” if it wants to agree a future trade deal in time before March 2019 and more “honest about the lack of time” over the “gargantuan” task ahead.
The peer set out his own blueprint for Brexit - urging Mrs May to agree a time-limited transition period that keeps existing EU arrangements in place until the end of 2020.
He said a transition with “no end” would be a “gangplank into thin air, increasing uncertainty and fuelling suspicion that it would be a means to stay in the EU permanently by stealth”.
Most controversially Lord Bridges urged ministers to succumb to Brussels demands for UK taxpayers to pay into the EU during the transition - until 2020 - to “address the EU’s concern that our withdrawal blows a hole in their budget”.
He also criticised Mrs May for insisting she doesn’t want to be “defined by Brexit”. The ex-minister branded the rhetoric “careless” because it will distract the Government from the “task at hand”.
He told peers: "The priority for every department must be to help ministers get the best possible deal, prepare us for Brexit, and ensure we prosper once we have left. Nothing is more important."
