May seeks to calm Brexit fears at first EU summit
AFP, London :
British Prime Minister Theresa May will seek to allay fears of the disruptive impact of Brexit after a wave of criticism when she addresses European Union leaders on Thursday at her first EU summit.
May will use the leaders’ working dinner in Brussels to confirm her plan to start formal exit talks by the end of March, paving the way for Britain to leave the bloc by early 2019.
The timetable, set out earlier this month at her Conservative party conference, was welcomed by European leaders who had been pressing for a swift divorce since the referendum vote to leave in June.
But May also angered many member states by stating her intention to control EU migration into Britain while at the same time seeking “maximum freedom” to operate in the EU’s single market.
European leaders have repeatedly said that the two demands are incompatible, and have warned that London should expect to pay a heavy price for its decision to leave.
The face-off has caused the pound to plunge to historic lows and raised global economic fears about the impact of a so-called hard Brexit.
May will make clear to EU leaders that Brexit is irreversible but will urge them to help make it work for both sides, a source in her office said.
“She wants the outcome to be a strong Britain as a partner of a strong European Union,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“She doesn’t want the process of the UK leaving to be damaging for the rest of the European Union. We want our departure to be a smooth, constructive, orderly process, minimising uncertainty.”
British Prime Minister Theresa May will seek to allay fears of the disruptive impact of Brexit after a wave of criticism when she addresses European Union leaders on Thursday at her first EU summit.
May will use the leaders’ working dinner in Brussels to confirm her plan to start formal exit talks by the end of March, paving the way for Britain to leave the bloc by early 2019.
The timetable, set out earlier this month at her Conservative party conference, was welcomed by European leaders who had been pressing for a swift divorce since the referendum vote to leave in June.
But May also angered many member states by stating her intention to control EU migration into Britain while at the same time seeking “maximum freedom” to operate in the EU’s single market.
European leaders have repeatedly said that the two demands are incompatible, and have warned that London should expect to pay a heavy price for its decision to leave.
The face-off has caused the pound to plunge to historic lows and raised global economic fears about the impact of a so-called hard Brexit.
May will make clear to EU leaders that Brexit is irreversible but will urge them to help make it work for both sides, a source in her office said.
“She wants the outcome to be a strong Britain as a partner of a strong European Union,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“She doesn’t want the process of the UK leaving to be damaging for the rest of the European Union. We want our departure to be a smooth, constructive, orderly process, minimising uncertainty.”
