Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May
Prime Minister Theresa May urges her Conservative Party to back her proposals for close trade ties with the European Union, her spokesman said on Wednesday, a day before the government publishes its so-called white paper Brexit policy document.
"The PM urges all of the Conservative party to get behind the plan as the cabinet (of ministers) has agreed at Chequers (her country residence). We will be publishing the white paper tomorrow to give further details," he told reporters.
"We urge everyone to get behind that plan."
Time is running dangerously low for Britain to reach an agreement on its post-Brexit relations with Europe, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on Wednesday.Speaking at a financial services conference in Paris, Le Maire said that London's detailed Brexit proposals last week were positive but uncertainty remained."Time is running out, and the ongoing uncertainty is no good for anyone, in particular for business," Le Maire said. "We want an agreement with the UK but let's be clear: this agreement has to fully respect the EU’s integrity and rules."UK must be able to diverge from EU on services after Brexit: ministerHe added that for financial services that meant "the only way forward is one based on reviewed and improved equivalence mechanisms."
France warns Britain that time running out on Brexit
Britain's vast services industry must be able to diverge from European Union rules after Brexit because there is a risk of "unwelcome measures" that may undermine the sector, Cabinet Office minister David Lidington said on Wednesday."The reason why we are proposing to treat services differently is because it is in services where regulatory flexibility matters most for both current and future trading opportunities," Lidington told parliament."While the EU acquis on goods has been stable for about 30 years, the EU acquis on services has not been and the risk of unwelcome EU measures coming into play through the acquis on services is much greater." UK cabinet discussed Brexit policy document, plans no-deal exit: PM May's spokesmanUK PM May seeks unity amid chaos over Brexit plansUK foreign minister Boris Johnson resigns
UK must be able to diverge from EU on services after Brexit: minister