British PM May to set out 'Road to Brexit' in speech

By William James

 

Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May gives a speech in Manchester, February 6, 2018. REUTERS/Paul Ellis/Pool/Files

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May will attempt to unite her feuding cabinet and convince a sceptical European Union that Britain knows what it wants from Brexit in a series of speeches over the next few weeks.

 

Britain is hoping to seal a transition deal next month to smooth its exit from the EU, and reach agreement on a long-term trade agreement later this year. However, Brussels said last week a transition deal was not a certainty and that London needed to clarify what it wanted from the EU.

 

May's government will aim to address that in a series of six speeches by the prime minister and other senior ministers in the next few weeks, which her office dubbed "The Road to Brexit".

 

“Brexit is a defining moment in the history of our nation," a source in May's office said.

 

"As we move along the road to that future, we will set out more detail so people can see how this new relationship will benefit communities in every part of our country.”

 

A BMG poll on Sunday for the Independent showed 74 percent of Britons were unclear about May's overall Brexit strategy.

 

As well as facing pressure from Brussels, May also needs to unite a cabinet and Conservative party, still deeply split between those who voted for Brexit in 2016 and those who didn't, behind a single vision for Britain's future outside the European Union.

 

May will host senior ministers at her country residence, Chequers, to try to broker an agreement between the different factions in her cabinet.

 

RALLYING CRY

 

May's first speech, to be delivered at a conference in Munich next Saturday, will set out the security relationship Britain wants with the EU. She will deliver another setting out Britain's future partnership, although a date for that has yet to be confirmed.

 

Foreign minister Boris Johnson, a leading Brexit advocate, will begin the 'Road to Brexit' series with a speech on Wednesday, described by May's office as a "rallying cry to those on both sides of the Brexit debate".

 

Brexit minister David Davis will outline how Britain’s businesses can maintain their global reputation after Brexit in an as yet unscheduled speech. Trade minister Liam Fox and cabinet minister David Lidington will also give speeches.

 

Finance minister Philip Hammond, seen as the most pro-EU member of May's cabinet, will not give a speech.

 

May's authority on Brexit, already weakened after a failed gamble on a snap election last year, has been further damaged by ideological splits between ministers, exacerbating concerns that Brexit talks may fail and the government collapse.

 

Conservative lawmaker and prominent critic of May's EU exit strategy, Anna Soubry, warned on Sunday that the type of Brexit the government was seeking did not have majority support in parliament, which will get a say on the final exit deal.

 

Last week, Japanese businesses warned May that they would have to leave Britain if trade barriers after Brexit made them unprofitable.

 

(Reporting by William James; Editing by Paul Tait, Susan Fenton and Giles Elgood)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-12

Road to Brexit?  It's been done already.

None of them have a clue,except Rees Mogg who wants to turn back time to when Britain had an Empire, poor deluded toff that he is.

3 hours ago, marko kok prong said:

None of them have a clue,except Rees Mogg who wants to turn back time to when Britain had an Empire, poor deluded toff that he is.

Make your mind up. Is he deluded or does he have a clue? He is an out if touch irrelevance for me. We need able politicians, not weird celebrity, swivel eyed nut jobs - so I am ruling out Boris too, though he is not a true Brexiter anyway. He saw it his best route to power.

Her road is a ring road around and around until the fuel runs out while simultaneously destroying the pound. 

Better to get out of this dictatorial so called E.U as quickly as possible.

And follow the Democratic result of the British electorate.

 

 

Another week of speeches and hot air.  Of course May is seeking to heal the divisions within her cabinet but that is just a fraction of the problem with Brexit.  In the end she will have to fall on one side or the other because the hard side and the soft side are going too dig their heels in.  Then whatever side she opts for she has to sell to the EU who are unlikely to give ground because they don't have to.  When all that is done then it will go to a final vote where the "deal" will be either accepted or rejected.

 

We are a long way into these divorce proceedings and absolutely no further forward at all.  In a normal divorce both sides would have sacked their lawyers by now and got new ones but with Brexit you are stuck with the shower you have got.

 

The remainers/Remoaners are frustrated and very disappointed with the lack of direction and I am sure the Brexiteers are too.  

 

8 hours ago, webfact said:

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May will attempt to unite her feuding cabinet and convince a sceptical European Union that Britain knows what it wants from Brexit in a series of speeches over the next few weeks.

Does the Prime Minister  really have to convince the EU that Britain knows what it wants from Brexit?  I guess she does because from where I am I really don't know either.   When my son was five years old he made a list of things he wanted for Christmas and sent it to Santa.  Even at that age he knew what he wanted and also knew he wasn't going to get everything.  Maybe if Theresa made a list for Santa EU then we would all know where we are! 

 

 

8 hours ago, webfact said:

“Brexit is a defining moment in the history of our nation," a source in May's office said.

I think that is true.  This is massively important for Britain and because of that, the fighting and bloody mindedness of both sides is completely understandable.

 

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Brexit minister David Davis will outline how Britain’s businesses can maintain their global reputation after Brexit in an as yet unscheduled speech. Trade minister Liam Fox and cabinet minister David Lidington will also give speeches.

But not the chancellor Hammond because he won't bang the same drum as the others.  However he will have a clearer picture than all the others on the effect of Brexit and that is not what May wants the public to know.

5 minutes ago, nontabury said:

Better to get out of this dictatorial so called E.U as quickly as possible.

And follow the Democratic result of the British electorate.

 

 

Hate to burst your balloon but we are European and always have been.  Better let May and Davis know as well because according to them "we are leaving the EU and NOT leaving Europe!"  I would also look carefully at your flag because after Brexit we may well be losing Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Take a tip from LOS. Set off down the road to Brexit and let the brakes fail. It will all be over very quickly......

I am happy that the process is not being rushed. TM goes to Munich to make her speech at a point where Angela Merkel carries less authority in Germany and not quite so able to wield influence.

18 minutes ago, champers said:

I am happy that the process is not being rushed. TM goes to Munich to make her speech at a point where Angela Merkel carries less authority in Germany and not quite so able to wield influence.

Can't see the logic?  Not trying to be argumentative (honestly) but Merkel isn't part of the negotiating team.  The problem the UK has with the EU side is Junker and Barnier, Merkel has always been pro Britain.

1 hour ago, champers said:

I am happy that the process is not being rushed. TM goes to Munich to make her speech at a point where Angela Merkel carries less authority in Germany and not quite so able to wield influence.

Oh good! Peace in our time 

54 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

Can't see the logic?  Not trying to be argumentative (honestly) but Merkel isn't part of the negotiating team.  The problem the UK has with the EU side is Junker and Barnier, Merkel has always been pro Britain.

Merkel is the puppeteer 

Just now, steve187 said:

Merkel is the puppeteer 

 

You really need to get up to date pal 

Just now, dunroaming said:

 

You really need to get up to date pal 

do i know you

5 minutes ago, steve187 said:

do i know you

You forgot the question mark, pal 

3 hours ago, champers said:

I am happy that the process is not being rushed. TM goes to Munich to make her speech at a point where Angela Merkel carries less authority in Germany and not quite so able to wield influence.

Yeah, right. It's only the Germans who are playing hardball. All the other EU nations want to carve out a special deal for the UK but have only been held back by the quasi-dictatorship of Germany.

7 hours ago, dunroaming said:

Can't see the logic?  Not trying to be argumentative (honestly) but Merkel isn't part of the negotiating team.  The problem the UK has with the EU side is Junker and Barnier, Merkel has always been pro Britain.

According to one report out today, the ones who are playing hardball are the E.U. Commission, France and Germany, while 10-12 of the other countries are wanting the E.U side to relax their demands.

 This I can quite understand, as after Britexit is finalized, Germany and France will have to increase the amount they pay in, to cover the loss of the U.K charitable contribution. And as for the E.U. We all know they are looking after themselves, and are afraid, that if The U.K makes a success of their newly found freedom, then this will encourage others to get out of the E.U straigtjacket.

 

57 minutes ago, nontabury said:

According to one report out today, the ones who are playing hardball are the E.U. Commission, France and Germany, while 10-12 of the other countries are wanting the E.U side to relax their demands.

 This I can quite understand, as after Britexit is finalized, Germany and France will have to increase the amount they pay in, to cover the loss of the U.K charitable contribution. And as for the E.U. We all know they are looking after themselves, and are afraid, that if The U.K makes a success of their newly found freedom, then this will encourage others to get out of the E.U straigtjacket.

 

 

Germany, just as predicted, is now in a financial straightjacket due to Merkel having to buy a coalition government. She's even had to commit to spending the budget surplus to obtain said coalition. The last thing Germany wants right now is more financial commitment.

6 hours ago, Khun Han said:

 

Germany, just as predicted, is now in a financial straightjacket due to Merkel having to buy a coalition government. She's even had to commit to spending the budget surplus to obtain said coalition. The last thing Germany wants right now is more financial commitment.

First of all, it's not right now. Brexit hasn't happened yet. And given the benefits that Germany enjoys from the EU a mere 10 billion Euros doesn't mean much. And it would only be that high if no other EU members contribute to the deficit. Which is extremely unlikely. In other words, chump change. What makes this comment a particularly egregious case of doublethink is how Brexiters consistently charge that it's Germany getting unfair benefits out of the EU at the expense of other members. Apparently, they want to voluntarily relinquish this advantage because why exactly?

8 hours ago, nontabury said:

According to one report out today, the ones who are playing hardball are the E.U. Commission, France and Germany, while 10-12 of the other countries are wanting the E.U side to relax their demands.

 This I can quite understand, as after Britexit is finalized, Germany and France will have to increase the amount they pay in, to cover the loss of the U.K charitable contribution. And as for the E.U. We all know they are looking after themselves, and are afraid, that if The U.K makes a success of their newly found freedom, then this will encourage others to get out of the E.U straigtjacket.

 

The eastern Europe members have already committed to increase their contributions

On 2/12/2018 at 2:18 PM, champers said:

Make your mind up. Is he deluded or does he have a clue? He is an out if touch irrelevance for me. We need able politicians, not weird celebrity, swivel eyed nut jobs - so I am ruling out Boris too, though he is not a true Brexiter anyway. He saw it his best route to power.

Deluded and he does have a clue, he has read all about the glorious Empire,that is his clue,send out the Gunboats and Redcoats.Agree he is madder than a cut snake.

14 hours ago, nontabury said:

According to one report out today, the ones who are playing hardball are the E.U. Commission, France and Germany, while 10-12 of the other countries are wanting the E.U side to relax their demands.

 This I can quite understand, as after Britexit is finalized, Germany and France will have to increase the amount they pay in, to cover the loss of the U.K charitable contribution. And as for the E.U. We all know they are looking after themselves, and are afraid, that if The U.K makes a success of their newly found freedom, then this will encourage others to get out of the E.U straigtjacket.

 

 

"According to one report out today"... Exactly and there will be several reports saying the opposite and this is the trouble for all of us.  Contradictions from every side, every day.  I get a lot of your arguments but they (like mine) are based upon what we "think".  I "think" that Germany doesn't want to lose the very lucrative car market in Britain so want us to stay in.  On the other hand "I think" that if we leave with a hard Brexit that the Japanese car makers in the UK will re-locate to Europe (they said this themselves last week) and that would be an opportunity for Germany and France to attract them there.  In which case they would want us to just walk away with a bad or no deal.  And so it goes on, round and round

15 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

First of all, it's not right now. Brexit hasn't happened yet. And given the benefits that Germany enjoys from the EU a mere 10 billion Euros doesn't mean much. And it would only be that high if no other EU members contribute to the deficit. Which is extremely unlikely. In other words, chump change. What makes this comment a particularly egregious case of doublethink is how Brexiters consistently charge that it's Germany getting unfair benefits out of the EU at the expense of other members. Apparently, they want to voluntarily relinquish this advantage because why exactly?

 

Spout your nonsense to Merkel and her advisers. I'm sure you can convince them to break German fiscal law to raise the'few' billion Euros that they can't currently raise, in order to keep the EU on track.