Article 50 as it happened: Merkel scuppers May's Brexit strategy within hours of Article 50 being triggered
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Your support makes all the difference.Welcome to The Independent’s liveblog. Theresa May has formally triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and started the countdown on Britain’s two-year exit from the European Union.
Here are the latest updates:
- Merkel derails May's Brexit plan
- Donald Tusk to UK: 'We miss you already'
- Read Theresa May's full Article 50 letter to the EU
- Article 50 triggered
- Read Theresa May's full Brexit statement to the Commons
- Leaked EU response to Britain's Article 50 letter
- What will happen to the economy?
- Latest updates on the pound
Welcome to The Independent’s liveblog as Theresa May prepares to formally trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and start the countdown on Britain’s two-year exit from the European Union.
Just after 4.30pm on Tuesday, Ms May signed the historic 6-page document in the Cabinet room of Downing Street below the portrait of Sir Robert Walpole – the first Prime Minister. Later today she will deliver a statement in the Commons on the Government’s negotiating strategy as well as facing Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, during the weekly session of Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs).
Around the same time, Sir Tim Barrow, the UK’s representative to the EU, will deliver the Prime Minister’s Article 50 letter to Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, who will then make a brief statement.
The Prime Minister is expected to emphasise her “fierce determination to get the right deal for every single person in this country” and call for people to unite after the divisive and bitter referendum campaign last year.
As she prepares to invoke Article 50 and begin an arduous two-year negation to sever ties with Brussels, she added: “When I sit around the negotiating table in the months ahead, I will represent every person in the whole United Kingdom – young and old, rich and poor, city, town, country and all the villages and hamlets in between,”
“And yes, those EU nationals who have made this country their home. It is my fierce determination to get the right deal for every single person in this country.”
She said her guiding principles would be ensuring the UK was stronger and fairer than it is today.
Prime Minister's Questions has now started. She offers her condolences to those who lost their lives and were injured in last weeks terror attacks in Westminster.
May says today we also give effect to the democratic decision of the British people at last year's referendum. She said the Government supports the Belfast agreement - and we have a preference of Northern Ireland remaining in the UK
Corbyn is now up. He begins by paying tribute to the emergency services who aided in the effort to help those injured in the attacks last Wednesday.
He says there are some problems - there will be a real terms cut of 330m to the police forces across the country in the coming years. May says she has protected the police budget.
"We see crime at a record low," May adds
Angus Robertson, the SNP leader in Westminster, says last year the PM promised before she would trigger Article 50 she would secure a UK-wide agreement... "she did make that promise" he adds.
"The Scottish Nationalist Party," says May - their actual name is the Scottish National Party. "They consistently talk about independence as the subject they want to talk about.
"Now is not the time. On today of all days we should be coming together as a united Britain for the best deal.." the PM adds.
The clash between Robertson and May comes after the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood approved a formal request for a second independence referendum:
Corbyn is back - again on police budgets. "We have protected police budget," she says - in a brief response.
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