LONDON — Theresa May just confirmed that Britain will be leaving the single market as part of its withdrawal from the European Union.

The prime minister told an audience of foreign diplomats and ambassadors that she will terminate Britain’s membership of the free-trade area in order to have full control over immigration from the EU.

This was also confirmed by Chancellor Phillip Hammond, who told the House of Commons on Tuesday morning that Britain will no longer be in the single market once Brexit is finalised.

May assured her European counterparts that Britain will remain a “best friend” to the continent but added that she will not seek a Brexit deal that leaves the country “half-in, half out” of the European Union.

Speaking at Lancaster House, Westminster this morning, the Conservative Party leader also confirmed that Britain will be breaking away from the European Court of Justice (ECJ), meaning EU law will no longer apply once Brexit is formally completed.

The prime minister also confirmed that both houses of parliament will get a final vote on the deal that her government reaches with the EU before it is put into effect.

The prime minister said: “I want this UK to emerge from this period of change stronger, fairer and more outward -looking than ever before… Our vote to leave the European Union was no rejection of the values we share. The decision to leave the EU represents no desire to become more distant to you, our friends and neighbours.”

May’s speech was the first clear signal that Britain under her leadership will pursue a clean break from the European Union once exit talks officially get underway, commonly referred to as “hard Brexit.” It represents a victory for staunch Brexiteers in the Tory party, like Brexit ministers David Davis and Liam Fox, who have long advocated a complete break away from the 28-nation bloc and its multilateral institutions.

Remainers fear leaving the single market will inflict serious damage to the economy and personal finances of working-class people nationwide. Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: “This speech could have been written by Peter Bone, delivered by Nigel Farage and will no doubt be cheered on by Jeremy Corbyn.

“You can call this Brexit clean, red, white and blue, or whatever you want. But this doesn’t disguise the fact that it will be a destructive, Hard Brexit and the consequences will be felt by millions of people through higher prices, greater instability and rising fuel costs.”

A YouGov poll published this week found that controlling EU immigration to the UK was more important to Brits than remaining a member of the single market, suggesting that although unpopular with numerous pro-Remain MPs, May’s “hard” approach to leaving the EU is in step with the desires of the general public.

The prime minister confirmed that Britain will be abandoning the single market in the same venue that former Tory premier Margaret Thatcher delivered a speech endorsing the values of the same free-trade area 28 years ago.

May dismissed the possibility of Britain adopting an existing model — like the Norway-style model — as its Brexit strategy. “We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave,” she said.

She also said that “preserving” the United Kingdom will be a priority as Britain enters exit negotiations with the EU. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has threatened to call a second independence referendum if Scotland’s demands for a unique relationship with the 28-nation bloc aren’t met.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule later this month that May must secure parliamentary approval before invoking Article 50 and initiating Britain’s departure from the EU. This means that MPs who oppose the PM’s plans to remove the country from the single market will have an opportunity to try and block Brexit getting underway.

This is a developing story…

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Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.</s>Britain will pull out of the single market when it leaves the European Union, Theresa May said today - finally ending months of uncertainty and confusion.

In her landmark Brexit speech, the Prime Minister said the deal she would be pursuing when the negotiations get underway "cannot mean membership of single market".

She pointed to the EU's demand that all members comply with ‘four freedoms’ – including, crucially, freedom of movement of EU citizens.

Follow our live blog from Theresa May's key speech on Brexit

It would also mean “complying with EU rules and regulations that implement those freedoms without having a vote on what those rules and regulations are," Ms May told her audience at London's Lancaster House.

The Prime Minister said single market membership would also mean the European Court of Justice having “direct legal authority in our country”.

In her most significant comments on her Brexit strategy yet, she said: “What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market.”

She added: "It would, to all intents and purposes, mean not leaving the EU at all”.

Ms May claimed that “both sides” in the referendum debate had “made clear” that a ‘No’ vote would mean leaving the single market.

She said her aim would be the “greatest possible access” to EU markets through a “comprehensive free trade agreement” – although, critics say, that could take many years to achieve.

Britain would continue to pay into the EU budget for “specific EU programmes” of its choosing, adding: “The days of making vast contributions to the EU every year will end”.</s>British Prime Minister Theresa May laid out her plan Tuesday to remove the United Kingdom from the European Union and pledged to put the deal up for a parliamentary vote.</s>Britain will leave the EU’s single market when it exits the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Tuesday, putting an end to speculation that London might try to seek a “soft Brexit”. In a long-awaited speech in which she sought to define the country’s future as a global player that aims to trade freely far beyond Europe, May said the final exit deal would be put to parliament for a vote.

That promise helped revive the pound on currency markets. Sterling, which has traded at the lowest levels against the U.S. dollar for more than three decades, rose during May’s speech hitting a day high.

May said she would seek an equal partnership with the EU but that she would not adopt models already used by other countries that have free trade agreements with the bloc.

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Her statement that Britain would leave the single market was by far the clearest indication she has ever given of her plans for the future, after months of criticism that she was not being sufficiently transparent.

“I want to be clear: What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market,” May told an audience of foreign diplomats and Britain’s own Brexit negotiating team at a mansion house in London.

“Instead we seek the greatest possible access to it though a new comprehensive, bold and ambitious free trade agreement. That agreement may take in elements of current single market arrangements in certain areas,” May said.

Her announcement that she will put the final Brexit deal to a vote in both houses of parliament comes ahead of a court decision on whether she has the power to start the process of withdrawing without parliamentary approval.

She has said she plans to launch the two-year exit negotiation process by the end of March.

Britons’ vote to leave the bloc has opened a huge number of questions about immigration, the future rights of the many EU citizens already living in the United Kingdom, whether exporters will keep tariff-free access to the single European market and British-based banks will be able to serve continental clients.

The Brexit talks, expected to be one of the most complicated negotiations in post-World War Two European history, could decide the fate of her premiership, the United Kingdom and the future shape of the European Union that Britain leaves behind.

May’s speech comes as Northern Ireland, the part of the UK most exposed to Brexit due to its land border with the Irish Republic, faces a lengthy period of political paralysis after the collapse of its power-sharing government.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said that Brexit will turn out to be a great thing and the other countries would follow Britain out of the European Union. He promised to strike a swift bilateral trade deal with the United Kingdom.</s>Prime Minister Theresa May and chancellor Philip Hammond have both said the UK will terminate its membership of the Single Market.

Hammond revealed the UK would look for a "quick and simple" and "ambitious agenda for a comprehensive free-trade agreement" in the House of Commons, while May's landmark address at Lancaster House said the UK "cannot" remain a member.

Hammond said: “We will go forward understanding we cannot be members of the Single Market because of the political lines around the four key freedoms that the other leaders have set.”

Read more: LIVE: Theresa May outlines her Brexit plan

He added that the UK would be "banging our heads against a brick wall" if it tried to overcome this resistance.

Hammond said the banking sector will have an "enhanced equivalence regime" rather than an extention of the current passporting regime.

Speaking separately, May concurred that remaining a Single Market member would mean complying with the rules around the market, without being able to contribute, and keeping the UK within the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

"It would to all intents and purposes mean not leaving the EU at all," she said.

"And that is why both sides in the referendum campaign made it clear that a vote to leave the EU would be a vote to leave the Single Market."

Read More: City eyes best possible access to Europe's Single Market

May also set out promises to allow MPs and peers a vote on the final terms of a Brexit deal, and to offer businesses a "phased" move to Brexit.</s>British Prime Minister Theresa May laid out her plan Tuesday to remove the United Kingdom from the European Union and pledged to put the deal up for a parliamentary vote.

The United Kingdom is headed for a clean split from the European Union. That was the message in London today as British Prime Minister Theresa May began to spell out just what Brexit will look like.

THERESA MAY: Not partial membership of the European Union or anything that leaves us half in, half out. No, the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union.

MCEVERS: May's speech ended months of uncertainty over the terms under which Britain wants to exit the EU. It is also a sharp departure from the gospel of globalization, open borders and free trade. NPR's Frank Langfitt reports from London.

FRANK LANGFITT, BYLINE: Prime Minister May made it clear that taking control of the country's borders was worth the risk of short-term damage to the U.K. economy. May was responding to Brexit voters who said immigration was costing British people jobs and eroding national identity.

MAY: Britain is an open and tolerant country, but the message from the public before and during the referendum campaign was clear. Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe, and that is what we will deliver.

LANGFITT: May insisted she didn't want Britain's exit to undermine the trading bloc which has supported peace and prosperity in Europe for decades.

MAY: It remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain's national interest that the EU should succeed.

LANGFITT: And she warned EU countries not to take vengeance on Britain for pulling out.

MAY: Yet I know there are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain. That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe, and it would not be the act of a friend.

LANGFITT: Currency markets seem to like May's clarity on Brexit. The British pound, which has taken a beating since the June Brexit vote, made a small rebound. Research fellow Rem Korteweg said the EU would also welcome May's clear terms.

Korteweg works for the Center for European Reform, a London think tank. He thought the prime minister's mix of friendly and threatening tones reflected the awkwardness as well as the contentious negotiations ahead. Korteweg spoke on Skype from Brussels, the de facto capital of the EU.

REM KORTEWEG: Very much this is like a 40-year-old marriage that is being unraveled. The challenge will be to allow it to unravel in a as-moderate and as-frictionless way as possible.

LANGFITT: May's speech adds to the growing uncertainty about the global economic order, especially with Donald Trump, a free trade critic, preparing to become president of the U.S. later this week. Again, Rem Korteweg...

KORTEWEG: You have two countries which used to lead, really were the vanguard of free trade, and there are question marks above both of them. And so I think it's relevant to ask this question. Well, where does free trade go from here?

LANGFITT: For Theresa May, the answer is a new free trade deal between the U.K. and the EU, which she wants to cut while negotiating Brexit. Analysts say that is wildly ambitious, and the U.K. is certain to come out worse off than it is now.

MUJTABA RAHMAN: The agreement Theresa May negotiates is going to be a lot less beneficial than the status quo.

LANGFITT: Mujtaba Rahman works for Eurasia Group, which analyzes global politics. He says in negotiating a new trade deal, May will have to choose which sectors of the U.K. economy get tariff-free access to the EU single market and which don't.

RAHMAN: And now the government I think will have to move into a position of picking winners, choosing losers. I think this will make investors nervous.

LANGFITT: And to ensure the best outcome, Rahman says, Prime Minister May will have to make sure she maintains European good will. Frank Langfitt, NPR News, London.</s>Britain will leave the European single market when it quits the European Union, Theresa May has said.

Mrs May said that her plans for Brexit cannot allow continued membership of the single market, which would require free movement of people and accepting the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.

Instead, she said that she will seek "the greatest possible access to the single market on a reciprocal basis, through a comprehensive trade agreement".

Mrs May said that she wanted to remain part of a customs agreement with the remaining 27 EU states, but said she had an "open mind" over whether this would be through associate membership of the Customs Union or through some other arrangement.

Her announcement came in a high-profile speech in London setting out her objectives for post-Brexit Britain.

She also revealed that t he final Brexit deal reached between the UK and European Union will be put to a vote of both Houses of Parliament.

Mrs May did not make clear whether a vote against the agreement would result in the UK remaining in the EU or in Britain crashing out of the 28-nation bloc without a deal.

Speaking at Lancaster House, Mrs May said: "When it comes to Parliament, there is one ... way in which I would like to provide certainty. I can confirm today that the Government will put the final deal that is agreed between the UK and the EU to a vote in both Houses of Parliament before it comes into force."

Under Article 50 of the EU treaties, Britain will have two years to negotiate a deal after it informs the European Council of its intention to quit - something which Mrs May has said she will do by the end of March.

Chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier has suggested that an agreement must be concluded by October 2018 to allow time for ratification before Britain leaves in March 2019, meaning that the Commons and Lords votes are likely to come during that six-month period.

Mrs May said that Britain will maintain "practical arrangements on law enforcement and the sharing of intelligence material" with its former EU partners, as well as continuing to work as closely with European allies on foreign and defence policy as it now does with the EU.

Mrs May said the UK would regain control of its borders.

"We will get control of the number of people coming to Britain from the EU. Because, while controlled immigration can bring great benefits, filling skill shortages, delivering public services, making British businesses the world beaters they often are, when the numbers get too high, public support in the system falters."

The PM said Britain would no longer be under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice after Brexit. And Mrs May stated she would work to maintain the common travel area with the Republic of Ireland.

Mrs May said remaining in the single market would mean "to all intents and purposes" not leaving the EU.

"As a priority we will pursue a bold and ambitious free trade agreement with the EU.

"This agreement should allow for the freest possible trade in goods and services between Britain and the EU's member states.

"It should give British companies the maximum possible freedom to trade with and operate within European markets and let European businesses do the same in Britain.

"But I want to be clear: what I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market."

European leaders had stressed that single market membership meant accepting free movement of goods, services and people.

Being out of the EU but remaining in the single market would also mean being bound by the rules and regulations without having a say in how they are drawn up.

"It would, to all intents and purposes mean not leaving the EU at all," she said.

"That is why both sides in the referendum campaign made it clear that a vote to leave the EU would be a vote to leave the single market."

Mrs May said the UK would seek the "greatest possible access" to the single market through a "new, comprehensive, bold and ambitious free trade agreement".

The deal could take in elements of single market arrangements in areas such as the automotive industry or financial services, she said.

"An important part of the new strategic partnership we seek with the EU will be the pursuit of the greatest possible access to the single market on a fully reciprocal basis through a comprehensive free trade agreement," she said.

The Prime Minister added that leaving the single market would mean no longer having to pay "huge sums" to the EU budget - but the UK could continue to pay to participate in some programmes.

Mrs May repeated her desire to reach an early deal on the status of British citizens in the EU and those from the continent living in Britain.

She also vowed to ensure workers' rights are "fully protected and maintained".

Mrs May warned the EU against trying to "punish" the UK as a warning to others who might seek to leave the bloc.

She said seeking a punitive Brexit deal with the UK would be "an act of calamitous self-harm", adding that "no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain".

Mrs May said she did not want a long transitional period to move towards Britain's new relationship with the EU.

But she said that once a deal is agreed, it will be implemented with a "phased approach, delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit".

She said: "We will seek to avoid a disruptive cliff edge and we will do everything we can to phase in the new arrangements we require as Britain and the EU move towards our new partnership."

Listing her key objectives for the Brexit negotiations, Mrs May said: "These are the objectives we have set:

"Certainty wherever possible. Control of our own laws. Strengthening the United Kingdom.

"Maintaining the common travel area with Ireland. Control of immigration. Rights for EU nationals in Britain and British nationals in the EU. Enhancing rights for workers.

"Free trade with European markets. New trade agreements with other countries. A leading role in science and innovation. Co-operation on crime, terrorism and foreign affairs. And a phased approach, delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit."

And she added: "This is the framework of a deal which will herald a new partnership between the UK and the EU. It is a comprehensive and carefully considered plan that focuses on the ends, not just the means, with its eyes fixed firmly on the future and on the kind of country we will be once we leave."

On the customs union, Mrs May said she wanted a new relationship in order to allow the UK to strike trade deals around the world - and highlighted Donald Trump's comments on a possible agreement with the UK.

"Countries including China, Brazil and the Gulf states have already expressed interest in striking trade deals with us," she said.

"We have started discussions on future trade ties with countries like Australia, New Zealand and India. And President-elect Trump has said that Britain is not at the back of the queue for a trade deal with the United States, the world's biggest economy, but front of the line."

Mrs May said full customs union membership would prevent the UK from striking its own comprehensive trade deals.

"I want Britain to be able to negotiate its own trade agreements but I also want tariff-free trade with Europe, and cross-border trade there to be as frictionless as possible.

"That means I do not want Britain to be part of the common commercial policy and I do not want us to be bound by the common external tariff.

"These are the elements of the customs union that prevent us from striking our own comprehensive trade agreements with other countries. But I do want us to have a customs agreement with the EU."

She said she had an open mind whether that meant a "completely new" agreement, becoming "an associate member of the customs union in some way" or "remaining a signatory to some elements of it".

But she said: "I want to remove as many barriers to trade as possible and I want Britain to be free to establish our own tariff schedules at the World Trade Organisation, meaning we can reach new trade agreements not just with the EU but with old friends and new allies from outside Europe too."

Mrs May insisted that she was "anticipating success" in the Brexit talks, as she believed that the deep connections between Britain and its European neighbours meant that it would be in the EU's interests to strike a favourable deal.

"I do not believe that the EU's leaders will seriously tell German exporters, French farmers, Spanish fishermen, the young unemployed of the eurozone and millions of others that they want to make them poorer just to punish Britain and make a political point," she said.

"For all these reasons, and because of our shared values and the spirit of goodwill that exists on both sides, I am confident that we will follow a better path. I am confident that a positive agreement can be reached.

"It's right that the Government should prepare for every eventuality, but to do so in the knowledge that a constructive and optimistic approach to the negotiations to come is in the best interests of Europe and the best interests of Britain."

Mrs May said she believed that Britain's prospects in the Brexit negotiations were bolstered by "the strength and support of 65 million people willing us to make it happen."

She acknowledged: "After the division and discord, the country is coming together. The referendum was divisive at times and those divisions have taken time to heal."

But she insisted that the strength of Britain's democracy ensured that "when a vote has been held, we all respect the result".

And she claimed that the "overwhelming majority of people - however they voted - want us to get on with it".

The Prime Minister said she did not believe the UK would leave the EU without a trade deal, but if it did, Britain could turn the situation to its advantage.

She said: "Because we would still be able to trade with Europe. We would still be free to strike trade deals across the world. And we would have the freedom to set competitive tax rates, and embrace the policies that would attract the world's best companies and biggest investors to Britain.

"And if we were excluded from accessing the single market, we would be free to change the basis of Britain's economic model. But for the EU, it would mean new barriers to trade with one of the biggest economies in the world."

Mrs May said that the Government's plan for post-Brexit Britain would not only secure a "good deal abroad" but also "a better deal for ordinary working people at home".

She said the Brexit referendum result did not signal a "retreat from the world" but was partly due to British cultural and political history and the inflexibility of the EU in the face of David Cameron's renegotiation.

She said: "It is important to recognise this fact: June 23 was not the moment Britain chose to step back from the world, it was the moment we chose to build a truly global Britain.

"I know that this, and the other reasons Britain took such a decision, is not always well understood among our friends and allies in Europe.

"I know many fear that this might herald the beginning of a greater unravelling of the EU. But let me be clear: I do not want that to happen."

She said the UK's constitutional arrangements meant that the public expect to be able to directly hold those in power to account "and as a result supranational institutions as strong as those created by the European Union sit very uneasily in relation to our political history and way of life".

Mr Cameron's attempt to strike a better deal was a "valiant final attempt to make it work for Britain".

But she added: "The blunt truth, as we know, is that there was not enough flexibility on many important matters for a majority of British voters."

Following Mrs May's speech, Brexit Secretary David Davis will make a statement to MPs in the House of Commons on the Government's plans for leaving the EU.</s>Theresa May refused to answer Jeremy Corbyn three times on the cost of her plan for Single Market access after Brexit.

The Prime Minister confirmed yesterday that she will yank the UK out of the trading bloc as part of her negotiations.

But she says she wants to get the “best deal possible” to allow British firms to trade with the rest of Europe.

But at Prime Minister’s Questions , the Labour Leader focused on her vague predictions for the future of the country’s trade deals.

He asked Mrs May three times how much the cost of market access would cost the British taxpayer, but received no answer.

He said: “The Chancellor said after the last election that to lose Single Market access would be catastrophic. A few days later the Health Secretary said the first part of the plan must be clarity that we will remain in the single market.

“The Prime Minister said something about ‘frictionless access to the Single Market’ and a bespoke customs union deal.

“Could she give us a little bit of clarity about this. Has she ruled out paying any kind of access free for what she describes as the ‘frictionless market’.

Theresa May turned things around by reading out Jeremy Corbyn’s own quotes on wanting “access” to the single market - just like she does.

“I’ve got a plan. He doesn’t have a clue”, she stormed.

But Corbyn pressed on, saying the PM is slashing corporation tax and threatening to do it more.

She said herself that trade would be harder - only to offer “vague guarantees” yesterday.

“Does she now disagree with herself?” he asked.

Mrs May insisted one of the key objectives of yesterday’s speech was to negotiate a free trade agreement that gives Britain the widest possible access for trading within the EU.

But a fuming Corbyn pressed her on the details again and again: “Would we have to pay for access to the Single Market or not?”

“The Prime Minister has not given an answer on that.”

She repeated her vague assertions: “The whole point is that we will negotiate a free trade agreement that will allow the best possible access for British business to operate in the European Union member states, and for European businesses to operate here in the UK. It’s about sitting down and negotiating the best possible deal for the United Kingdom. That’s what I’m committed to and that’s what this government is going to deliver.”

Corbyn noted that while the PM had complained about immigration putting pressure on public services, the real pressure was coming from a government that “slashed billions from the social care budget, that is cutting the schools budget, that’s closing A&E departments and walk in centres and Sure Start centres.

“So instead of threatening to turn Britain into an offshore tax haven, let’s welcome those who contribute to our public services and fund our public services properly so that we do have the fully functioning NHS that we need and deserve.”

But the Prime Minister got the last word in the fractuous exchange, telling Corbyn “there’s a difference” between the pair of them.

“When I look at the issue of Brexit or indeed any other issue like the NHS or social care, I consider the issue, I set out my plan - and I stick to it.

“It’s called leadership. He should try it sometime.”

The SNP’s Westminster leader Angus Robertson said the Scottish Parliament voted by a “large cross-party majority” to remain in the EU single market.

Just as a large majority of the Scottish voted to Remain overall.

He asked if she still believes Scotland is an “equal partner” in Brexit talks, “or is she just stringing the people of Scotland along”?

The PM replied a specific Scotland plan will be considered tomorrow by the joint ministerial committee with leaders of each devolved nation.

He said “Hard Tory Brexit” would cost 20,000 Scots their jobs, according to independent forecasts.

“Does the PM believe this is a price worth paying for her Little Britain Brexit?”

She gave her usual reply - that the SNP wanted to leave the UK, and therefore the EU and single market too.

But in reply to SNP MP Kirsty Blackman, the PM refused to give assurances that Scottish MPs would be able to vote on all aspects of the forthcoming 'Great Repeal Bill' - a key part of removing Britain from the EU.</s>LONDON—Prime Minister Theresa May said the U.K. intends to leave the European Union’s single market, outlining a plan for a definitive break from the bloc and answering the biggest open question about her vision for Britain’s future.

In her most detailed speech yet, Mrs. May on Tuesday said the U.K. wouldn’t seek a “half-in, half-out” relationship with the EU. Once it is out, she said, Britain would no longer abide by the bloc’s immigration rules or be subject to jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, which the EU...</s>A little over six months ago, the British people voted for change.

They voted to shape a brighter future for our country. They voted to leave the European Union and embrace the world.

And they did so with their eyes open: accepting that the road ahead will be uncertain at times, but believing that it leads towards a brighter future for their children - and their grandchildren too.

And it is the job of this Government to deliver it. That means more than negotiating our new relationship with the EU. It means taking the opportunity of this great moment of national change 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 neighbour 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.

I want Britain to be what we have the potential, talent and ambition to be. A great, global trading nation that is respected around the world and strong, confident and united at home.

That is why this government has a plan for Britain. One that gets us the right deal abroad but also ensures we get a better deal for ordinary working people at home.

It’s why that plan sets out how we will use this moment of change to build a stronger economy and a fairer society by embracing genuine economic and social reform.

Why our new Modern Industrial Strategy is being developed, to ensure every nation and area of the United Kingdom can make the most of the opportunities ahead.

Why we will go further to reform our schools to ensure every child has the knowledge and the skills they need to thrive in post-Brexit Britain.

Why as we continue to bring the deficit down, we will take a balanced approach by investing in our economic infrastructure - because it can transform the growth potential of our economy, and improve the quality of people’s lives across the whole country.

It’s why we will put the preservation of our precious Union at the heart of everything we do. Because it is only by coming together as one great union of nations and people that we can make the most of the opportunities ahead.

The result of the referendum was not a decision to turn inward and retreat from the world.

Because Britain’s history and culture is profoundly internationalist.

We are a European country – and proud of our shared European heritage – but we are also a country that has always looked beyond Europe to the wider world.

That is why we are one of the most racially diverse countries in Europe, one of the most multicultural members of the European Union, and why – whether we are talking about India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, America, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, countries in Africa or those that are closer to home in Europe – so many of us have close friends and relatives from across the world.

Instinctively, we want to travel to, study in, trade with countries not just in Europe but beyond the borders of our continent. Even now as we prepare to leave the EU, we are planning for the next biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2018 – a reminder of our unique and proud global relationships.

A message from Britain to the rest of Europe

And it is important to recognise this fact. June the 23rd was not the moment Britain chose to step back from the world. It was the moment we chose to build a truly global Britain.

I know that this – and the other reasons Britain took such a decision – is not always well understood among our friends and allies in Europe. And I know many fear that this might herald the beginning of a greater unravelling of the EU.

But let me be clear: I do not want that to happen. It would not be in the best interests of Britain. It remains overwhelmingly and compellingly in Britain’s national interest that the EU should succeed. And that is why I hope in the months and years ahead we will all reflect on the lessons of Britain’s decision to leave.

So let me take this opportunity to set out the reasons for our decision and to address the people of Europe directly.

It’s not simply because our history and culture is profoundly internationalist, important though that is. Many in Britain have always felt that the United Kingdom’s place in the European Union came at the expense of our global ties, and of a bolder embrace of free trade with the wider world.

There are other important reasons too.

Our political traditions are different. Unlike other European countries, we have no written constitution, but the principle of parliamentary sovereignty is the basis of our unwritten constitutional settlement.

We have only a recent history of devolved governance – though it has rapidly embedded itself - and we have little history of coalition government.

The public expect to be able to hold their governments to account very directly, and as a result supranational institutions as strong as those created by the European Union sit very uneasily in relation to our political history and way of life.

And, while I know Britain might at times have been seen as an awkward member state, the European Union has struggled to deal with the diversity of its member countries and their interests. It bends towards uniformity, not flexibility.

David Cameron’s negotiation was a valiant final attempt to make it work for Britain - and I want to thank all those elsewhere in Europe who helped him reach an agreement - but the blunt truth, as we know, is that there was not enough flexibility on many important matters for a majority of British voters.

Now I do not believe that these things apply uniquely to Britain. Britain is not the only member state where there is a strong attachment to accountable and democratic government, such a strong internationalist mindset, or a belief that diversity within Europe should be celebrated.

And so I believe there is a lesson in Brexit not just for Britain but, if it wants to succeed, for the EU itself.

Because our continent’s great strength has always been its diversity. And there are two ways of dealing with different interests.

You can respond by trying to hold things together by force, tightening a vice-like grip that ends up crushing into tiny pieces the very things you want to protect.

Or you can respect difference, cherish it even, and reform the EU so that it deals better with the wonderful diversity of its member states.

So to our friends across Europe, let me say this: our vote to leave the European Union was no rejection of the values we share. The decision to leave the EU represents no desire to become more distant to you, our friends and neighbours. It was no attempt to do harm to the EU itself or to any of its remaining member states.

We do not want to turn the clock back to the days when Europe was less peaceful, less secure and less able to trade freely. It was a vote to restore, as we see it, our parliamentary democracy, national self-determination, and to become even more global and internationalist in action and in spirit.

We will continue to be reliable partners, willing allies and close friends. We want to buy your goods and services, sell you ours, trade with you as freely as possible, and work with one another to make sure we are all safer, more secure and more prosperous through continued friendship.

You will still be welcome in this country as we hope our citizens will be welcome in yours.

At a time when together we face a serious threat from our enemies, Britain’s unique intelligence capabilities will continue to help to keep people in Europe safe from terrorism.

And at a time when there is growing concern about European security, Britain’s servicemen and women, based in European countries including Estonia, Poland and Romania, will continue to do their duty.

We are leaving the European Union, but we are not leaving Europe.

And that is why we seek a new and equal partnership – between an independent, self-governing, Global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU.

Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out.

We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave.

No, the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union. And my job is to get the right deal for Britain as we do.

So today I want to outline our objectives for the negotiation ahead. 12 objectives that amount to one big goal: a new, positive and constructive partnership between Britain and the European Union.

And as we negotiate that partnership, we will be driven by some simple principles: we will provide as much certainty and clarity as we can at every stage.

And we will take this opportunity to make Britain stronger, to make Britain fairer, and to build a more Global Britain too

The first objective is crucial. We will provide certainty wherever we can.

We are about to enter a negotiation. That means there will be give and take. There will have to be compromises. It will require imagination on both sides. And not everybody will be able to know everything at every stage.

But I recognise how important it is to provide business, the public sector, and everybody with as much certainty as possible as we move through the process. So where we can offer that certainty, we will do so.

That is why last year we acted quickly to give clarity about farm payments and university funding.

And it is why, as we repeal the European Communities Act, we will convert the “acquis” – the body of existing EU law – into British law.

This will give the country maximum certainty as we leave the EU.

The same rules and laws will apply on the day after Brexit as they did before. And it will be for the British Parliament to decide on any changes to that law after full scrutiny and proper Parliamentary debate.

And when it comes to Parliament, there is one other way in which I would like to provide certainty. I can confirm today that the Government will put the final deal that is agreed between the UK and the EU to a vote in both Houses of Parliament, before it comes into force.

Our second guiding principle is to build a stronger Britain.

2. Control of our own laws

That means taking control of our own affairs, as those who voted in their millions to leave the European Union demanded we must. So we will take back control of our laws and bring an end to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in Britain.

Leaving the European Union will mean that our laws will be made in Westminster, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. And those laws will be interpreted by judges not in Luxembourg but in courts across this country.

Because we will not have truly left the European Union if we are not in control of our own laws.

A stronger Britain demands that we do something else - strengthen the precious union between the four nations of the United Kingdom.

At this momentous time, it is more important than ever that we face the future together, united by what makes us strong: the bonds that unite us as a people, and our shared interest in the UK being an open, successful trading nation in the future.

And I hope that same spirit of unity will apply in Northern Ireland in particular over the coming months in the Assembly elections, and the main parties there will work together to re-establish a partnership government as soon as possible.

Foreign affairs are of course the responsibility of the UK Government, and in dealing with them we act in the interests of all parts of the United Kingdom. As Prime Minister, I take that responsibility seriously.

I have also been determined from the start that the devolved administrations should be fully engaged in this process.

That is why the Government has set up a Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations, so ministers from each of the UK’s devolved administrations can contribute to the process of planning for our departure from the European Union.

We have already received a paper from the Scottish Government, and look forward to receiving a paper from the Welsh Government shortly. Both papers will be considered as part of this important process.

We won’t agree on everything, but I look forward to working with the administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to deliver a Brexit that works for the whole of the United Kingdom.

Part of that will mean working very carefully to ensure that – as powers are repatriated from Brussels back to Britain – the right powers are returned to Westminster, and the right powers are passed to the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

As we do so, our guiding principle must be to ensure that - as we leave the European Union - no new barriers to living and doing business within our own Union are created,

That means maintaining the necessary common standards and frameworks for our own domestic market, empowering the UK as an open, trading nation to strike the best trade deals around the world, and protecting the common resources of our islands.

And as we do this, I should equally be clear that no decisions currently taken by the devolved administrations will be removed from them.

We cannot forget that, as we leave, the United Kingdom will share a land border with the EU, and maintaining that Common Travel Area with the Republic of Ireland will be an important priority for the UK in the talks ahead.

There has been a Common Travel Area between the UK and the Republic of Ireland for many years. Indeed, it was formed before either of our two countries were members of the European Union.

And the family ties and bonds of affection that unite our two countries mean that there will always be a special relationship between us.

So we will work to deliver a practical solution that allows the maintenance of the Common Travel Area with the Republic, while protecting the integrity of the United Kingdom’s immigration system.

Nobody wants to return to the borders of the past, so we will make it a priority to deliver a practical solution as soon as we can.

The third principle is to build a fairer Britain. That means ensuring it is fair to everyone who lives and works in this country.

And that is why we will ensure we can control immigration to Britain from Europe.

We will continue to attract the brightest and the best to work or study in Britain – indeed openness to international talent must remain one of this country’s most distinctive assets – but that process must be managed properly so that our immigration system serves the national interest.

So we will get control of the number of people coming to Britain from the EU.

Because while controlled immigration can bring great benefits – filling skills shortages, delivering public services, making British businesses the world-beaters they often are – when the numbers get too high, public support for the system falters.

In the last decade or so, we have seen record levels of net migration in Britain, and that sheer volume has put pressure on public services, like schools, stretched our infrastructure, especially housing, and put a downward pressure on wages for working class people.

As Home Secretary for six years, I know that you cannot control immigration overall when there is free movement to Britain from Europe.

Britain is an open and tolerant country. We will always want immigration, especially high-skilled immigration, we will always want immigration from Europe, and we will always welcome individual migrants as friends. But the message from the public before and during the referendum campaign was clear: Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe.

And that is what we will deliver.

6. Rights for EU nationals in Britain, and British nationals in the EU

Fairness demands that we deal with another issue as soon as possible too. We want 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.

I have told other EU leaders that we could give people the certainty they want straight away, and reach such a deal now.

Many of them favour such an agreement - one or two others do not - but I want everyone to know that it remains an important priority for Britain – and for many other member states – to resolve this challenge as soon as possible. Because it is the right and fair thing to do.

And a fairer Britain is a country that protects and enhances the rights people have at work.

That is why, as we translate the body of European law into our domestic regulations, 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’ set out in European legislation, we will build on them.

Because under this Conservative Government, we will make sure legal protection for workers keeps pace with the changing labour market – and that the voices of workers are heard by the boards of publicly-listed companies for the first time.

But the great prize for this country – the opportunity ahead – is to use this moment to build a truly Global Britain. A country that reaches out to old friends and new allies alike. A great, global, trading nation. And one of the firmest advocates for free trade anywhere in the world.

That starts with our close friends and neighbours in Europe. So as a priority, we will pursue a bold and ambitious Free Trade Agreement with the European Union.

This agreement should allow for the freest possible trade in goods and services between Britain and the EU’s member states.

It should give British companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets – and let European businesses do the same in Britain.

But I want to be clear. What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the Single Market.

European leaders have said many times that membership means accepting the “four freedoms” of goods, capital, services and people.

And being out of the EU but a member of the Single Market would mean complying with the EU’s rules and regulations that implement those freedoms, without having a vote on what those rules and regulations are. It would mean accepting a role for the European Court of Justice that would see it still having direct legal authority in our country.

It would to all intents and purposes mean not leaving the EU at all.

And that is why both sides in the referendum campaign made it clear that a vote to leave the EU would be a vote to leave the Single Market.

So we do not seek membership of the Single Market. Instead we seek the greatest possible access to it through a new, comprehensive, bold and ambitious free trade agreement.

That agreement may take in elements of current Single Market arrangements in certain areas – on the export of cars and lorries for example, or the freedom to provide financial services across national borders – as it makes no sense to start again from scratch when Britain and the remaining member states have adhered to the same rules for so many years.

But I respect the position taken by European leaders who have been clear about their position, just as I am clear about mine. So an important part of the new strategic partnership we seek with the EU will be the pursuit of the greatest possible access to the Single Market, on a fully reciprocal basis, through a comprehensive free trade agreement.

And because we will no longer be members of the Single Market, we will not be required to contribute huge sums to the EU budget.

There may be some specific European programmes in which we might want to participate. If so, and this will be for us to decide, it is reasonable that we should make an appropriate contribution.

But the principle is clear: the days of Britain making vast contributions to the European Union every year will end.

9. New trade agreements with other countries

But it is not just trade with the EU we should be interested in. A Global Britain must be free to 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.

Since joining the EU, trade as a percentage of GDP has broadly stagnated in the UK. That is why it is time for Britain to get out into the world and rediscover its role as a great, global, trading nation.

This is such a priority for me that when I became Prime Minister I established, for the first time, a Department for International Trade, led by Liam Fox.

We want to get out into the wider world, to trade and do business all around the globe. Countries including China, Brazil, and the Gulf States have already expressed their interest in striking trade deals with us.

We have started discussions on future trade ties with countries like Australia, New Zealand and India. And President Elect Trump has said Britain is not “at the back of the queue” for a trade deal with the United States, the world’s biggest economy, but front of the line.

I know my emphasis on striking trade agreements with countries outside Europe has led to questions about whether Britain seeks to remain a member of the EU’s Customs Union. And it is true that full Customs Union membership prevents us from negotiating our own comprehensive trade deals.

Now, I want Britain to be able to negotiate its own trade agreements. But I also want tariff-free trade with Europe and cross-border trade there to be as frictionless as possible.

That means I do not want Britain to be part of the Common Commercial Policy and I do not want us to be bound by the Common External Tariff.

These are the elements of the Customs Union that prevent us from striking our own comprehensive trade agreements with other countries. But I do want us to have a customs agreement with the EU.

Whether that means we must reach a completely new customs agreement, become an associate member of the Customs Union in some way, or remain a signatory to some elements of it, I hold no preconceived position. I have an open mind on how we do it. It is not the means that matter, but the ends.

And those ends are clear: I want to remove as many barriers to trade as possible. And I want Britain to be free to establish our own tariff schedules at the World Trade Organisation, meaning we can reach new trade agreements not just with the European Union but with old friends and new allies from outside Europe too.

10. The best place for science and innovation

A global Britain must also be a country that looks to the future. That means being one of the best places in the world for science and innovation.

One of our great strengths as a nation is the breadth and depth of our academic and scientific communities, backed up by some of the world’s best universities. And we have a proud history of leading and supporting cutting-edge research and innovation.

So we will also welcome agreement to continue to collaborate with our European partners on major science, research, and technology initiatives.

From space exploration to clean energy to medical technologies, Britain will remain at the forefront of collective endeavours to better understand, and make better, the world in which we live.

11. Cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism

And a global Britain will continue to cooperate with its European partners in important areas such as crime, terrorism and foreign affairs.

All of us in Europe face the challenge of cross-border crime, a deadly terrorist threat, and the dangers presented by hostile states. All of us share interests and values in common, values we want to see projected around the world.

With the threats to our common security becoming more serious, our response cannot be to cooperate with one another less, but to work together more.

I therefore want our future relationship with the European Union to include practical arrangements on matters of law enforcement and the sharing of intelligence material with our EU allies.

I am proud of the role Britain has played and will continue to play in promoting Europe’s security. Britain has led Europe on the measures needed to keep our continent secure – whether it is implementing sanctions against Russia following its action in Crimea, working for peace and stability in the Balkans, or securing Europe’s external border.

We will continue to work closely with our European allies in foreign and defence policy even as we leave the EU itself.

These are our objectives for the negotiation ahead – objectives that will help to realise our ambition of shaping that stronger, fairer, Global Britain that we want to see.

They are the basis for a new, strong, constructive partnership with the European Union – a partnership of friends and allies, of interests and values. A partnership for a strong EU and a strong UK.

But there is one further objective we are setting. For as I have said before – it is in no one’s interests for there to be a cliff-edge for business or a threat to stability, as we change from our existing relationship to a new partnership with the EU.

By this, I do not mean that we will seek some form of unlimited transitional status, in which we find ourselves stuck forever in some kind of permanent political purgatory. That would not be good for Britain, but nor do I believe it would be good for the EU.

Instead, I want us to have reached an agreement about our future partnership by the time the two-year Article Fifty process has concluded.

From that point onwards, we believe a phased process of implementation, in which both Britain and the EU institutions and member states prepare for the new arrangements that will exist between us will be in our mutual self-interest. This will give businesses enough time to plan and prepare for those new arrangements.

This might be about our immigration controls, customs systems or the way in which we cooperate on criminal justice matters. Or it might be about the future legal and regulatory framework for financial services.

For each issue, the time we need to phase-in the new arrangements may differ. Some might be introduced very quickly, some might take longer. And the interim arrangements we rely upon are likely to be a matter of negotiation.

But the purpose is clear: we will seek to avoid a disruptive cliff-edge, and we will do everything we can to phase in the new arrangements we require as Britain and the EU move towards our new partnership.

The right deal for Britain

So, these are the objectives we have set. Certainty wherever possible. Control of our own laws. Strengthening the United Kingdom. Maintaining the Common Travel Area with Ireland. Control of immigration.

Rights for EU nationals in Britain, and British nationals in the EU. Enhancing rights for workers. Free trade with European markets. New trade agreements with other countries.

A leading role in science and innovation. Cooperation on crime, terrorism and foreign affairs. And a phased approach, delivering a smooth and orderly Brexit.

This is the framework of a deal that will herald a new partnership between the UK and the EU.

It is a comprehensive and carefully considered plan that focuses on the ends, not just the means - with its eyes fixed firmly on the future, and on the kind of country we will be once we leave.

It reflects the hard work of many in this room today who have worked tirelessly to bring it together and to prepare this country for the negotiation ahead.

And it will, I know, be debated and discussed at length. That is only right. But those who urge us to reveal more – such as the blow-by-blow details of our negotiating strategy, the areas in which we might compromise, the places where we think there are potential trade-offs – will not be acting in the national interest.

Because this is not a game or a time for opposition for opposition’s sake. It is a crucial and sensitive negotiation that will define the interests and the success of our country for many years to come. And it is vital that we maintain our discipline.

That is why I have said before – and will continue to say – that every stray word and every hyped up media report is going to make it harder for us to get the right deal for Britain.

Our opposite numbers in the European Commission know it, which is why they are keeping their discipline. And the ministers in this Government know it too, which is why we will also maintain ours.

So however frustrating some people find it, the Government will not be pressured into saying more than I believe it is in our national interest to say.

Because it is not my job to fill column inches with daily updates, but to get the right deal for Britain. And that is what I intend to do.

A new partnership between Britain and Europe

I am confident that a deal - and a new strategic partnership between the UK and the EU – can be achieved.

This is firstly because, having held conversations with almost every leader from every single EU member state; having spent time talking to the senior figures from the European institutions, including President Tusk, President Juncker, and President Schulz; and after my Cabinet colleagues David Davis, Philip Hammond and Boris Johnson have done the same with their interlocutors,

I am confident that the vast majority want a positive relationship between the UK and the EU after Brexit. And I am confident that the objectives I am setting out today are consistent with the needs of the EU and its Member States.

That is why our objectives include a proposed Free Trade Agreement between Britain and the European Union, and explicitly rule out membership of the EU’s Single Market. Because when the EU’s leaders say they believe the four freedoms of the Single Market are indivisible, we respect that position.

When the 27 Member States say they want to continue their journey inside the European Union, we not only respect that fact but support it.

Because we do not want to undermine the Single Market, and we do not want to undermine the European Union. We want the EU to be a success and we want its remaining member states to prosper. And of course we want the same for Britain.

And the second reason I believe it is possible to reach a good deal is that the kind of agreement I have described today is the economically rational thing that both Britain and the EU should aim for.

Because trade is not a zero sum game: more of it makes us all more prosperous. Free trade between Britain and the European Union means more trade, and more trade means more jobs and more wealth creation.

The erection of new barriers to trade, meanwhile, means the reverse: less trade, fewer jobs, lower growth.

The third and final reason I believe we can come to the right agreement is that cooperation between Britain and the EU is needed not just when it comes to trade but when it comes to our security too.

Britain and France are Europe’s only two nuclear powers. We are the only two European countries with permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.

Britain’s armed forces are a crucial part of Europe’s collective defence. And our intelligence capabilities – unique in Europe – have already saved countless lives in very many terrorist plots that have been thwarted in countries across our continent.

After Brexit, Britain wants to be a good friend and neighbour in every way, and that includes defending the safety and security of all of our citizens.

So I believe the framework I have outlined today is in Britain’s interests. It is in Europe’s interests. And it is in the interests of the wider world.

But I must be clear. Britain wants to remain a good friend and neighbour to Europe. Yet I know there are some voices calling for a punitive deal that punishes Britain and discourages other countries from taking the same path.

That would be an act of calamitous self-harm for the countries of Europe. And it would not be the act of a friend.

Britain would not – indeed we could not – accept such an approach. And while I am confident that this scenario need never arise – while I am sure a positive agreement can be reached – I am equally clear that no deal for Britain is better than a bad deal for Britain.

Because we would still be able to trade with Europe. We would be free to strike trade deals across the world. And we would have the freedom to set the competitive tax rates and embrace the policies that would attract the world’s best companies and biggest investors to Britain. And – if we were excluded from accessing the Single Market – we would be free to change the basis of Britain’s economic model.

But for the EU, it would mean new barriers to trade with one of the biggest economies in the world.

It would jeopardise investments in Britain by EU companies worth more than half a trillion pounds. It would mean a loss of access for European firms to the financial services of the City of London.

It would risk exports from the EU to Britain worth around £290 billion every year. And it would disrupt the sophisticated and integrated supply chains upon which many EU companies rely.

Important sectors of the EU economy would also suffer. We are a crucial – profitable – export market for Europe’s automotive industry, as well as sectors including energy, food and drink, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture.

These sectors employ millions of people around Europe. And I do not believe that the EU’s leaders will seriously tell German exporters, French farmers, Spanish fishermen, the young unemployed of the Eurozone, and millions of others, that they want to make them poorer, just to punish Britain and make a political point.

For all these reasons – and because of our shared values and the spirit of goodwill that exists on both sides – I am confident that we will follow a better path. I am confident that a positive agreement can be reached.

It is right that the Government should prepare for every eventuality - but to do so in the knowledge that a constructive and optimistic approach to the negotiations to come is in the best interests of Europe and the best interests of Britain.

We do not approach these negotiations expecting failure, but anticipating success.

Because we are a great, global nation with so much to offer Europe and so much to offer the world.

One of the world’s largest and strongest economies. With the finest intelligence services, the bravest armed forces, the most effective hard and soft power, and friendships, partnerships and alliances in every continent.

And another thing that’s important. The essential ingredient of our success. The strength and support of 65 million people willing us to make it happen.

Because after all the division and discord, the country is coming together.

The referendum was divisive at times. And those divisions have taken time to heal.

But one of the reasons that Britain’s democracy has been such a success for so many years is that the strength of our identity as one nation, the respect we show to one another as fellow citizens, and the importance we attach to our institutions means that when a vote has been held we all respect the result.

The victors have the responsibility to act magnanimously. The losers have the responsibility to respect the legitimacy of the outcome. And the country comes together.

And that is what we are seeing today. Business isn’t calling to reverse the result, but planning to make a success of it. The House of Commons has voted overwhelmingly for us to get on with it. And the overwhelming majority of people – however they voted – want us to get on with it too.

So that is what we will do.

Not merely forming a new partnership with Europe, but building a stronger, fairer, more Global Britain too.

And let that be the legacy of our time. The prize towards which we work. The destination at which we arrive once the negotiation is done.

And let us do it not for ourselves, but for those who follow. For the country’s children and grandchildren too.

So that when future generations look back at this time, they will judge us not only by the decision that we made, but by what we made of that decision.

They will see that we shaped them a brighter future.

They will know that we built them a better Britain.
After much speculation British Prime Minister Theresa May announces that the United Kingdom will be leaving the European Single Market.