May triggers article 50 with warning of consequence for UK

Theresa May has told parliament that she accepts Brexit will carry consequences for the UK, as a letter delivered to Brussels began a two-year countdown to Britain’s departure from the EU.

The prime minister made a speech on triggering article 50 minutes after the European council president, Donald Tusk, confirmed he had received notification. He declared that “the UK has delivered Brexit” nine months after a bruising referendum campaign.

“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,” she said.

A number of MPs congratulated the prime minister on the tone of her letter to Tusk, which stressed Britain’s commitment to the continent as a close friend and ally. But others accused her of issuing a “blatant threat” to withdraw security cooperation if the EU27 fail to deliver on a trade agreement. The letter suggests that the government hopes to roll the separate issues together, claiming no deal will mean WTO rules but also that “our cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism would be weakened”.

May’s spokesman repeatedly insisted placing security and trade relations alongside each other in the letter to Tusk was not intended as a threat. “It’s a simple statement of fact that if we leave the EU without a deal, then the arrangements we have as part of our EU membership will lapse,” he said.

The prime minister said Wednesday was “a day of celebration for some and disappointment for others” – a point underlined as passionate campaigners on either side of the debate rose after her statement to put forward their arguments.

“The referendum last June was divisive at times. Not everyone shared the same point of view, or voted in the same way. The arguments on both sides were passionate,” she said.

May said her government accepted repeated warnings from European leaders that Britain could not “cherrypick” during EU negotiations – and that was why it would not remain a full member of the single market.

She urged her European counterparts to help secure a “bold and ambitious free trade agreement” as she promised to approach the talks “constructively, respectfully, and in a spirit of sincere cooperation”. May stressed a number of times that she wanted a “new deep and special partnership” with the rest of the EU.

She made clear that, in her eyes, there was now no way to stop Brexit, adding that her government was acting on the “democratic will of the British people”.

“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.”

She said that security in Europe was more fragile than at any time since the cold war, warning that any weakening of cooperation would be a “costly mistake”.

The need for close cooperation on that issue had been “reinforced by the abhorrent attack on Westminster Bridge and this place last week”.

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, responded by promising that the government would be “held to account at every stage of the negotiations”.

“The British people made a decision to leave the European Union, and Labour respects that decision,” he told MPs. “The next steps along this journey are the most crucial, and if the prime minister is to unite the country … the government needs to listen, consult and represent the whole country, not just hardline Tory ideologues on her own benches.” He promised to oppose any threats to turn Britain into a “low-wage tax haven”.

Minutes before May began her statement, Tusk announced that he had received the British government’s letter with a tweet:

The six pages starting Britain’s exit from the EU and handed over by the UK’s EU ambassador, Sir Tim Barrow, set seven key principles for Britain as it entered the talks, including:

• To engage “constructively and respectfully, in a spirit of sincere cooperation”.
• To put “citizens first”, indicating an early desire to strike a deal for EU citizens in Britain and British people on the continent.
• To work towards a comprehensive trade agreement, and with deep cooperation on security.
• To minimise disruption and give as much certainty as possible.
• To maintain the common travel area between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland with no return to the borders of the past.

May was heckled when she declared that she would fight for the “liberal, democratic values of Europe” and insisted that the UK was not leaving Europe and would remain a “close friend and ally”.

The prime minister stressed her desire to strengthen the “union of the four nations” of the UK in comments that led to a response from SNP MPs. She said the government would negotiate for all parts of the country, arguing that the devolved administrations would have more powers after Brexit.

In response to comments by the SNP’s Angus Robertson about Scotland’s vote to remain in the EU, May stressed that her own Maidenhead constituency had voted to stay within the union but that she had to honour the overall vote.

In prime minister’s questions before the statement, the former SNP leader Alex Salmond stressed disunity across the country as he urged the government to delay the triggering of article 50. “After nine months of this prime minister’s approach to Brexit, Northern Ireland is deadlocked, the Welsh are alienated, Scotland is going for a referendum, the English are split down the middle and Brexit MPs are walking out of committees because they don’t like home truths,” he said.

Tim Farron, the Lib Dem leader, later said: “It is shameful that Theresa May has threatened to withdraw security cooperation from our closest neighbours and allies. With growing terrorist threats from around the world, it is imperative that we work together with European allies for our mutual security. She is prepared to put the safety of British and European citizens on the line just so she can deliver her hard Brexit.”

Yvette Cooper, Labour chair of the home affairs select committee, suggested it would be dangerous to wrap the issues together. “She should not be trying to use this as a bargaining chip in the negotiations. This is not a threat to the rest of Europe, it would be a serious act of self-harm. She should rule out now walking away with no security deal as our national security and public safety depend on it.”

Asked by Labour MP Catherine McKinnell, May denied making a threat. “I go on to make very clear in the letter that not having arrangements, not having agreements, on these issues would not be in the interests of the UK and European Union, and we should work to ensure that we secure a deal,” she said.

Earlier in the day, MPs were given details of the article 50 letter during a special cabinet meeting. Senior Conservative MPs ended the session by banging the table enthusiastically, including those who had backed remain, according to someone who was present.

However, it appeared that there may still be tensions across the cabinet table when Philip Hammond said Britain accepted it could not “have its cake and eat it” when negotiating with the EU.

In comments that may be seen as a dig at Boris Johnson, who said late last year that the government’s policy was to have it all, the chancellor said Britain’s position to leave the single market and full customs union had “sent a clear signal that we understand we can’t cherrypick, we can’t have our cake and eat it”.

A Whitehall source retorted “We shouldn’t be downbeat today and we can absolutely have the best deal”, claiming that Hammond might change his mind over the issue by next week.