Theresa May’s speech as she triggers Article 50 and starts Brexit process

Nine months after the public voted to leave, Britain is set to formally file for divorce from the European Union.
The letter signed by Prime Minister Theresa May announcing that the UK intends to leave the EU under Article 50 has been handed to European Council president Donald Tusk in Brussels by UK permanent representative Sir Tim Barrow.
There is now a two-year – or 730 day countdown until the UK are officially no longer a member of the EU.

Theresa May told MPs: ‘Today the Government acts on the democratic will of the British People. And it acts, too, on the clear and convincing position of this House.
‘A few minutes ago in Brussels, the United Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the EU handed a letter to the President of the European Council on my behalf, confirming the Government’s decision to invoke Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union.

‘The Article 50 process is now underway. And in accordance with the wishes of the British People, the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union.
‘This is an historic moment from which there can be no turning back. Britain is leaving the European Union. We are going to make our own decisions and our own laws. We are going to take control of the things that matter most to us. And we are going to take this opportunity to build a stronger, fairer Britain – a country that our children and grandchildren are proud to call home.
‘That is our ambition and our opportunity. And That is what this Government is determined to do.
‘Mr Speaker, at moments like these – great turning points in our national story – the choices we make define the character of our nation.
‘We can choose to say the task ahead is too great. We can choose to turn our face to the past and believe it can’t be done. ‘Or we can look forward with optimism and hope – and to believe in the enduring power of the British spirit.‘I choose to believe in Britain and that our best days lie ahead.

‘And I do so because I am confident that we have the vision and the plan to use this moment to build a better Britain.
‘For, leaving the European Union presents us with a unique opportunity. It is this generation’s chance to shape a brighter future for our country. A chance to step back and ask ourselves what kind of country we want to be.

‘My answer is clear. I want this United Kingdom to emerge from this period of change stronger, fairer, more united and more outward-looking than ever before.
‘I want us to be a secure, prosperous, tolerant country – a magnet for international talent and a home to the pioneers and innovators who will shape the world ahead.
‘I want us to be a truly Global Britain – the best friend and neighbor to our European partners, but a country that reaches beyond the borders of Europe too. A country that goes out into the world to build relationships with old friends and new allies alike.
‘And that is why I have set out a clear and ambitious plan for the negotiations ahead.
‘It is a plan for a new deep and special partnership between Britain and the European Union. A partnership of values. A partnership of interests. A partnership based on cooperation in areas such as security and economic affairs.
‘And a partnership that works in the best interests of the United Kingdom, the European Union and the wider world.

‘Because perhaps now more than ever, the world needs the liberal, democratic values of Europe – values that the United Kingdom shares. And that is why, while we are leaving the institutions of the European Union, we are not leaving Europe. We will remain a close friend and ally. We will be a committed partner. We will play our part to ensure that Europe is able to project its values and defend itself from security threats. And we will do all that we can to help the European Union prosper and succeed.
So Mr Speaker, in the letter that has been delivered to President Tusk today – copies of which I have placed in the library of the House – I have been clear that the deep and special partnership we seek is in the best interests of the United Kingdom and of the European Union too.
‘I have been clear that we will work constructively – in a spirit of sincere cooperation – to bring this partnership into being.
‘And I have been clear that we should seek to agree the terms of this future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal, within the next two years.
‘I am ambitious for Britain. And the objectives I have set out for these negotiations remain.
‘We will control immigration so that we continue to attract the brightest and the best to work or study in Britain, but manage the process properly so that our immigration system serves the national interest.
‘We seek to guarantee the rights of EU citizens who are already living in Britain, and the rights of British nationals in other member states as early as we can. That is set out very clearly in the letter as an early priority for the talks ahead.
‘We will ensure that workers’ rights are fully protected and maintained. Indeed, under my leadership, not only will the Government protect the rights of workers, we will build on them.
‘We will pursue a bold and ambitious free trade agreement with the European Union that allows for the freest possible trade in goods and services between Britain and the EU’s member states; that gives British companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets; and that lets European businesses do the same in Britain.
‘Because European Leaders have said many times that we cannot ‘cherry pick’ and remain members of the Single Market without accepting the four freedoms that are indivisible. We respect that position. And as accepting those freedoms is incompatible with the democratically expressed will of the British People, we will no longer be members of the Single Market.
‘We are going to make sure that we can strike trade agreements with countries from outside the European Union too. Because important though our trade with the EU is and will remain, it is clear that the UK needs to increase significantly its trade with the fastest growing export markets in the world.
‘We hope to continue to collaborate with our European partners in the areas of science, education, research and technology, so that the UK is one of the best places for science and innovation.

‘We seek continued cooperation with our European partners in important areas such as crime, terrorism and foreign affairs.

‘And it is our aim to deliver a smooth and orderly Brexit – reaching an agreement about our future partnership by the time the two-year Article 50 process has concluded, then moving into a phased process of implementation in which Britain, the EU institutions and member states prepare for the new arrangements that will exist between us.

‘Mr Speaker, we understand that there will be consequences for the UK of leaving the EU. We know that we will lose influence over the rules that affect the European economy. We know that UK companies that trade with the EU will have to align with rules agreed by institutions of which we are no longer a part, just as we do in other overseas markets. We accept that.

‘However, we approach these talks constructively, respectfully, and in a spirit of sincere cooperation.

‘For it is in the interests of both the United Kingdom and the European Union that we should use this process to deliver our objectives in a fair and orderly manner. It is in the interests of both the United Kingdom and the European Union that there should be as little disruption as possible. And it is in the interests of both the United Kingdom and the European Union that Europe should remain strong, prosperous and capable of projecting its values in the world.