TVC E. Discussions about the UK leaving the EU must be “frank and open”, Theresa May has said as she prepares to embark
on her first tour of European capitals.
The prime minister will have a working dinner with Germany’s Angela Merkel on Wednesday before talks with France’s Francois Hollande on Thursday.
Mrs May said maintaining strong trading links in Europe was vital to ensuring the UK “made a success” of Brexit.
Before the trip, Mrs May will face her first Prime Minister’s Questions.
She will cross swords with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in the House of Commons for the first time at just after midday in what will be the last PMQs before Parliament breaks up for the summer recess on Thursday.
Mrs May has already spoken to both Chancellor Merkel and President Hollande on the phone but their first face-to-face meetings over the next two days are seen as highly important in setting the tone for the long and hard negotiations over EU exit that lie ahead.
The prime minister has said she does not expect to commence formal negotiations before the end of the year as she consults with the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments as well as business, industry and other stakeholders about the way ahead.
‘Clear message’
While the German and French leaders have said the UK’s vote to leave must be respected and Britain must be given time to formulate its negotiating strategy, both are facing re-election next year and under domestic political pressure to drive a hard bargain.
They have suggested no special exceptions can be made for Britain in terms of continued access to the EU’s single market if, as Mrs May has insisted, the UK absents itself from freedom of movement rules.
Ahead of the visit, Downing Street said Mrs May would underline the importance of establishing strong personal relations with her European counterparts and emphasise the value that the UK placed on its economic, trading and security relationships with the two countries and its commitment to continued strong ties outside the EU.
“These visits will be an opportunity to forge a strong working relationship that we can build upon and which I hope to develop with more leaders across the European Union in the weeks and months ahead,” she said.
“I do not under-estimate the challenge of negotiating our exit from the European Union and I firmly believe that being able to talk frankly and openly about the issues we face will be an important part of a successful negotiation.
