Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Theresa May calls for "a truly global Britain" after confirming the deadline for triggering Article 50 to leave the EU

The UK will begin the formal Brexit negotiation process by the end of March 2017, PM Theresa May has said.

The timing on triggering Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty means the UK looks set to leave the EU by summer 2019.

Mrs May told the Tory Party conference - her first as prime minister - the government would strike a deal with the EU as an "independent, sovereign" UK.

Voters had given their verdict "with emphatic clarity", she said, and ministers had to "get on with the job".

In a speech on the first day of the conference in Birmingham, she also gave details of a Great Repeal Bill which she said would end EU law's primacy in the UK.

She attacked those who "have still not accepted the result of the referendum", adding: "It is up to the government not to question, quibble or backslide on what we have been instructed to do, but to get on with the job."

She told delegates: "We are going to be a fully independent, sovereign country - a country that is no longer part of a political union with supranational institutions that can override national parliaments and courts.

"And that means we are going, once more, to have the freedom to make our own decisions on a whole host of different matters, from how we label our food to the way in which we choose to control immigration."

Mrs May said a "truly global Britain is possible, and it is in sight", adding: "We don't need - as I sometimes hear people say - to 'punch above our weight' because our weight is substantial enough already."

Reacting to Mrs May's comments about Article 50:

The CBI said there was still an "urgent need for answers" on single market access and business regulations

The cross-party Open Britain campaign warned Mrs May about being "gung ho" and said she should not "expect any favours from Parliament" on her repeal bill

Labour's shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry said the Article 50 commitment was "meaningless" without the government saying what it wanted to achieve

European Council President Donald Tusk said the announcement brought "welcome clarity"

Scotland's Brexit minister warned the Scottish Parliament might block the "Great Repeal Bill"

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was "depressing" that government decisions were "being driven by ideology of the hard Brexiteers, rather than interests of country"

Leading Brexit campaigner Iain Duncan Smith said the PM had set a "fairly reasonable" timetable and thought Article 50 could be triggered sooner than March

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron called for clarity before Article 50 was triggered, adding: "We can't start the process without any idea of where we're going"

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Theresa May confirms Article 50 deadline

The PM, who had previously only said she would not trigger Article 50 this year, ended speculation about the government's timetable on BBC One's The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning.

She said it would be done by "the first quarter of 2017", marking the start of a two-year exit process.

The process of leaving the EU would be "quite complex", she said, but added that she hoped there would now be "preparatory work" with the remaining EU members so that "once the trigger comes we will have a smoother process of negotiation".

She added: "It's not just important for the UK, but important for Europe as a whole that we're able to do this in the best possible way so we have the least disruption for businesses, and when we leave the EU we have a smooth transition from the EU."

The PM also said June's vote to leave the EU had been a "clear message from the British people that they want us to control movement of people coming into the UK".

Analysis

Image copyright AP

By Laura Kuenssberg, BBC political editor

Theresa May has appeared dozens of times on Tory conference platforms before, but before she had uttered a word, this afternoon marked an occasion that will matter to the party's history.

She may not have been elected as prime minister, but with four years until the next general election, far from sticking to David Cameron's plan, she plans not to waste a minute implementing her agenda.

It will be far from easy - former ministers are already muttering about her direction. She has a tiny majority, and no individual mandate for her reforms.

But on the biggest challenge before her - taking the UK out of the European Union - Theresa May still is characteristically reticent.

Read more from Laura

Mrs May also promised a "Great Repeal Bill" in the next Queen's Speech, to remove the European Communities Act 1972 from the statute book and enshrine all existing EU law into British law.

The repeal bill will enable Parliament to amend and cancel any unwanted legislation and also end the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the UK.

Mrs May said this was an "important step", adding: "That means the UK will be an independent sovereign nation, it will be making its own laws."

The repeal of the 1972 act will not take effect until the UK leaves the EU under Article 50.

European Communities Act 1972

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Theresa May told the BBC's Andrew Marr that repealing the EU act will make the UK "sovereign and independent"

In 1972 the UK Parliament passed the European Communities Act

It gave direct effect to EU law, so if there is a conflict between an act of the UK Parliament and EU law, Westminster loses out and EU law prevails

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) became a kind of Supreme Court of Europe, interpreting EU law with judgements that were binding on all member states

Did the UK lose its sovereignty in 1972?

Reality Check: How would the UK rid itself of EU law?</s>Theresa May will unveil plans to enshrine all European Union regulations that apply to Britain in domestic law when the country leaves the bloc at her first Conservative conference as prime minister.

She will tell her party that she intends to pass legislation to transpose EU law on to the UK statute book when Brexit happens.

May again ruled out the prospect of an early general election, insisting that she wants stability for the country as she arrived for the gathering in Birmingham. She told the Sunday Times: “We will introduce, in the next Queen’s speech, a ‘great repeal’ bill that will remove the European Communities Act from the statute book.

“This marks the first stage in the UK becoming a sovereign and independent country once again. It will return power and authority to the elected institutions of our country. It means that the authority of EU law in Britain will end.”

May and the Brexit secretary, David Davis, will use the opening day of the conference to detail plans for their “great repeal” bill that will allow Britain to “take back control” of its legislation. The bill will repeal the 1972 European Communities Act, which gives direct effect to all EU law, and at the same time convert Brussels regulations into domestic law. 



This will give parliament the power to unpick the laws it wants to keep, remove or amend at a later date, in a move that could be welcomed by MPs who are keen to have a say over the terms of Brexit. The move is also designed to give certainty to businesses and protection for workers’ rights that are enshrined in EU law.

Davis will say: “To those who are trying to frighten British workers, saying, ‘When we leave, employment rights will be eroded’, I say firmly and unequivocally, ‘No, they won’t.’”

The bill is expected to be brought forward in the next parliamentary session (2017-18) and will not pre-empt the two-year process of leaving the EU, which begins when the government triggers article 50.

Davis will tell the conference: “We will follow the process to leave the EU which is set out in article 50. The prime minister has been clear that she won’t start the formal negotiations about our exit before the end of the year. As we prepare for those negotiations in Europe, we also need to prepare for the impact of Brexit on domestic law.

“It’s very simple. At the moment we leave, Britain must be back in control. And that means EU law must cease to apply. To ensure continuity, we will take a simple approach. EU law will be transposed into domestic law, wherever practical, on exit day. It will be for elected politicians here to make the changes to reflect the outcome of our negotiation and our exit.

“That is what people voted for: power and authority residing once again with the sovereign institutions of our own country.”

The repeal bill will also end the primacy of EU law, meaning rulings by the European court of justice will stop applying to the UK once the legislation takes effect. It will also include powers to make changes to the laws using secondary legislation as negotiations over the UK’s future relationship proceed, although more wide-ranging amendments or new laws may come forward in separate bills.</s>Britain looks set to leave the European Union by summer 2019 after triggering the formal process to pull out before the end of March next year, Theresa May has said.

The Prime Minister said Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty will be triggered in the first three months of 2017, marking the start of the two-year process to enact Brexit.

The process can be extended beyond two years if Britain and all other EU countries unanimously agree, but that prospect is seen as unlikely.

She made the announcement after revealing plans for a “Great Repeal Bill” to transpose all EU law applying to the UK into domestic law, ready for the day the country leaves the union.

Tory former minister Anna Soubry, who is on the liberal pro-Europe wing of the party, said triggering Article 50 so soon “really concerns” her and warned that the EU “holds all the cards” in the negotiation.

She warned that companies like Nissan will “pack up and leave” Britain if it cannot negotiate access to the single market and dismissed the repeal Bill as “very technical and not a big deal”.

Ms Soubry told Peston: “Triggering Brexit as early as March really concerns me, troubles me hugely, because we won’t have had the French elections, we won’t have had the German elections, and I’m sorry, it is going to take a lot of time and effort to disentangle ourselves and get the right deal.

“The other thing that’s got to be said is this - this idea that we hold the cards and that the EU is going to come to us and say ‘do you know what, we’ll give you pretty much what you want’, the idea we’re going to get anything like we’ve got now is rubbish.

“We’re going to get something worse, obviously we are, and we don’t hold the cards, the EU does.”

Labour shadow minister Jon Ashworth joined Ms Soubry in calling for more clarity over the Government’s Brexit strategy.

“Theresa May said she was providing ‘clarity’ but that’s exactly what we aren’t getting from the Tories,” he said.

“There were very few answers from her this morning either on the big questions facing us.

“She gave very little detail on her supposed big idea of a ‘Great Repeal Act’ other than it’s an ambition; there was no answer on what would be in it, how it would work or, vitally, how she intends to deliver Brexit while protecting our workers and businesses.”

’Like’ The Scotsman on Facebook for regular updates

DOWNLOAD THE SCOTSMAN APP ON ITUNES OR GOOGLE PLAY</s>Prime minister Theresa May confirms on Sunday that she will trigger Article 50 before the end of March 2017, with plans for a ‘great repeal bill’ following shortly after Brexit. Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, May said she hoped to have some ‘preparation in place’ before March, allowing a smooth process of negotiation
• Brexit: Theresa May to trigger article 50 by end of March 2017</s>The Prime Minister also warned that she would not allow Scotland’s “divisive nationalists” to undermine the United Kingdom as she confirmed that Article 50 will be triggered by the end of next March.

The announcement paves the way for Brexit to take place by the summer of 2019 - a year ahead of the scheduled date of the next general election.

In her first party conference speech as Conservative leader, Mrs May also said that the next Queen’s Speech will include a Great Repeal Bill which will give Parliament total jurisdiction to determine new laws.

However she confirmed that existing EU employment legislation protecting the legal rights of workers “will continue to be guaranteed in law” for “as long as I am Prime Minister”.

This well received speech also made clear that the Government will uphold the result of the June 23 referendum – and that there would not be a vote in both Houses of Parliament before two years of negotiations with the European Union after the formal tabling of Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

Mrs May confirmed that Attorney General will represent the Government in the High Court next week when advocates of Britain’s continued membership of the EU will attempt to delay the political process.

“People who argue that Article 50 can only be triggered after agreement in both Houses of Parliament are not standing up for democracy, they’re trying to subvert it,” declared Mrs May.

“They’re not trying to get Brexit right, they’re trying to kill it by delaying it. They are insulting the intelligence of the British people. That is why, next week, I can tell you that the Attorney General himself, Jeremy Wright, will act for the Government and resist them in the courts.

“Likewise, the negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union are the responsibility of the Government and nobody else. Because we voted in the referendum as one United Kingdom, we will negotiate as one United Kingdom, and we will leave the European Union as one United Kingdom. There is no opt-out from Brexit. And I will never allow divisive nationalists to undermine the precious Union between the four nations of our United Kingdom.”

Taking the unusual step for a Tory leader of addressing the conference on its opening day, Mrs May rejected the argument Britain must choose between “hard Brexit” - in which it regains control over immigration but loses access to the European single market - and “soft Brexit”, under which access to the single market comes with a requirement to allow free movement of EU workers.

“Whether people like it or not, the country voted to leave the EU,” said Mrs May. “That means we are going to leave the EU.”

The Prime Minsiter pledged: “We are going to be a fully independent, sovereign country. That means we are going, once more, to have the freedom to make our own decisions from how we label our food to the way in which we choose to control immigration.”

To loud applause, she added: “I know some people ask about the ‘trade-off’ between controlling immigration and trading with Europe. But that is the wrong way of looking at things. We have voted to leave the European Union and become a fully independent, sovereign country. We will do what independent, sovereign countries do. We will decide for ourselves how we control immigration. And we will be free to pass our own laws.”

She said her aim would be to strike a deal with the UK’s EU partners to include “co-operation on law enforcement and counter-terrorism work and to give British companies “the maximum freedom to trade with and operate in the single market and let European businesses do the same here”.

She added: “Let me be clear: We are not leaving the European Union only to give up control of immigration again. And we are not leaving only to return to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. We don’t need – as I sometimes hear people say – to “punch above our weight”. Because our weight is substantial enough already. So let’s ignore the pessimists, let’s have the confidence in ourselves to go out into the world, securing trade deals, winning contracts, generating wealth and creating jobs. Let’s show the country we mean business.”

European Council President Donald Tusk welcomed Mrs May’s “clarity” which he said would allow the remaining 27 EU states to “engage to safeguard (their) interests”.

No delays as Theresa May says she means ‘business’ over Brexit</s>Scotland’s Brexit minister has suggested Holyrood could vote against Prime Minister Theresa May’s Great Repeal Bill.

Mike Russell said legislation to transpose all EU law applying to the UK into domestic law would require the consent of the Scottish Parliament, where the majority of MSPs are against it.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Politics Scotland programme, he called for greater involvement for the devolved administrations in the “meat” of Brexit negotiations.

Mr Russell, citing devolved areas such as fishing and agriculture, said: “There are issues which are issues for the Scottish Government, they are not issues for the UK Government.

READ MORE: Theresa May to trigger Article 50 before end of March 2017

“A piece of legislation such as Theresa May is now promising, this Great Repeal Act, will require the approval of the Scottish Parliament. A legislative consent motion will be required.

“The Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, has a formal role there. We need to make sure that we are in there discussing these matters.”

Asked whether the Scottish Parliament would vote against a repeal Bill, he said: “Presently there is a majority against that repeal Bill, that is absolutely obvious.

READ MORE: Theresa May to enshrine EU regulations in domestic law

“We’ve had three votes in the Scottish Parliament in the last four weeks on European matters. All of them have been in favour of the single market and issues like that, and against what appears to be the current position of the hard Brexiteers who are pushing Theresa May and trying to force her into their camp.

“That, at the present moment, would appear to be the case.”

Responding to the announcement on Twitter, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was “depressing” that UK Government decisions “are being driven by ideology of the hard Brexiteers, rather than interests of country”.

Mr Russell added: “Today’s announcements, I think, are more designed to pacify the Tory right wing. They are not designed to give the clarity that people actually need.

“There is some small print in the Government’s announcement today, which seems to imply that we will be asked, the devolved administrations will be asked, for their ideas and their views.

“That’s not consultation, that’s certainly not the Theresa May full engagement and full involvement that she promised.

“We have to keep arguing for, pressing for and insisting upon the involvement of the Scottish Government and the other devolved administrations in the meat of these matters.”

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DOWNLOAD THE SCOTSMAN APP ON ITUNES OR GOOGLE PLAY</s>What is the ‘great repeal bill’ proposed by Theresa May?

The aim of the legislation will be to end the authority of EU law by converting all its provisions in British law on the day of exit from the bloc. At the same time, the 1972 European Communities Act giving direct effect to all EU law will be repealed.



What is the point of leaving the EU if we are transposing its laws into British law?

May says there will be an opportunity to scrutinise, amend, repeal or improve any aspect of EU law in the future. There will almost certainly be a huge number of requests for changes from MPs, peers and third parties with vested interests in getting rid of EU provisions. However, it is not entirely clear whether this will happen during the passage of this bill or ministers and parliament will be given powers to throw out bits of EU legislation at a later date.

Will it pass through parliament unchallenged?

The bill would probably make it through the House of Commons as it would have the overwhelming support of the Conservatives, and Labour would find it difficult to oppose. But it might have a trickier ride through the House of Lords and the process could be lengthy given the number of amendments likely to be demanded.



When will it happen?

The legislation will be introduced in the next parliamentary session, which starts with the Queen’s speech next May. It would need to be ready by the day the UK leaves the EU, which is now likely to be before March 2019.



How does it fit in with the article 50 process?

May has just confirmed the EU will be informed that Britain formally wants to leave the EU before the end of March 2017. That is called triggering article 50, starting up to two years of negotiations with Brussels – which can be extended by mutual agreement.

The examination of the “great repeal bill” will be an entirely separate process for the UK alone, as the legislation will be prepared by Whitehall, brought forward by ministers and debated by MPs and peers.



Could it mean a weakening of workers’ rights, environmental standards and other protections governed by the EU?

This is a possibility that has long been warned about by pro-remain campaigners in Labour and the trade unions. During the parliamentary process, the government says it will be possible to amend, repeal or improve any law after appropriate scrutiny and debate. However, David Davis, the Brexit secretary, has insisted this is not the aim. “To those who are trying to frighten British workers, saying, ‘When we leave, employment rights will be eroded,’ I say firmly and unequivocally, ‘no they won’t’.”



Are there any other implications?

The legislation will end the jurisdiction of the European court of justice in the UK. One argument against the EU made by leave campaigners was the EU law had become sovereign over British law.</s>LONDON (AP) — Britain will trigger the formal process for leaving the European Union before the end of March, Prime Minister Theresa May said Sunday, putting to rest weeks of speculation on the timing of the move.

May outlined her vision for a post-EU Britain at her Conservative Party’s annual conference in Birmingham and took the first steps to making a British exit — or Brexit — a reality.

As her fellow lawmakers applauded wildly, May made it clear that the British people expected to see the moment “on the horizon” when Britain would leave — and that she was going to deliver.

“We will invoke it when we are ready, and we will be ready soon,” she said. “We will invoke Article 50 no later than the end of March next year.”

While the prime minister previously had hinted she planned to initiate Britain’s EU exit early next year, many observers had speculated she would wait until France’s presidential election ends in May or perhaps even the Germany elections, set for the late summer or fall of next year.

But May insisted there would be no unnecessary delays in bringing it to pass — and that it would fight any legal challenges intended to derail the move. She sternly rejected the idea that the government would circumvent the result, making a face as she raised the idea to underscore her disdain.

Britain voted in a June referendum to leave the EU, but has not formally notified the bloc of its intentions by invoking the article of the EU treaty that would trigger negotiations. Doing so will launch two years of talks to work out the details of Britain’s future relationship with the single market.

While the two-year timetable is mandated by the EU treaty, it can be extended by a unanimous vote of the remaining members of the bloc.

The prime minister also said she would ask Parliament to repeal the European Communities Act, which automatically makes EU rules the law of the land in Britain.

May said her government instead would incorporate all EU laws into British law and then repeal measures as necessary on a case-by-case basis.

“That means that the United Kingdom will be an independent, sovereign nation,” she said. “It will be making its own laws.”

May said that by offering a timetable now, she hopes to encourage the two sides to engage in preliminary work that would help the negotiations go smoothly once they begin. EU leaders so far have rejected any such discussions.

The president of the 28-nation EU’s governing European Council, Donald Tusk, offered a tweet in support of her position. He had told her at a recent Downing Street meeting that the “ball is now in your court.”

“PM May’s declaration brings welcome clarity on start of Brexit talks,” he tweeted Sunday. “Once Art. 50’s triggered, EU27 will engage to safeguard its interests.”

One of the biggest sticking points in any talks will be immigration. The free movement of labor is a founding principle of the EU, and millions of EU citizens live and work in Britain.

The perception that immigrants have strained public services and changed the face of many communities was a factor for many British citizens who voted to leave the EU. May said that she intends to heed public opinion on that point.

“Apart from the message of leaving the European Union, I think there was also a clear message from the British people that they wanted us to control movement of people from the EU coming into the UK, so we will deliver on that,” she said.

May also flatly rejected the idea that elements within the United Kingdom might be able to negotiate a deal for themselves. The message was clearly aimed at Scotland, which only narrowly rejected an independence move in 2014 and had voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU. Scotland wants a place at the table because of its numerous trade ties with the EU.

“We will negotiate as one United Kingdom and we will leave the European Union as one United Kingdom. There is no opt-out for Brexit,” May told the conference. “I will never allow divisive nationalists to undermine the precious union between the four nations of our United Kingdom.”

Critics quickly pounced on the first tangible moves on the process in weeks. Conservative Anna Soubry, a former minister who is in the Tory pro-Europe wing of the party, told ITV that she was concerned that May would trigger the article so soon, warning that companies such as Nissan might leave without a deal on the single market.

“Triggering Brexit as early as March really concerns me, troubles me hugely, because we won’t have had the French elections, we won’t have had the German elections, and I’m sorry, it is going to take a lot of time and effort to disentangle ourselves and get the right deal,” she said.

“The other thing that’s got to be said is this — this idea that we hold the cards and that the EU is going to come to us and say ‘do you know what, we’ll give you pretty much what you want’, — the idea we’re going to get anything like we’ve got now is rubbish.”

The opposition Labour Party asked for more clarity on the proposals. Stephen Kinnock, a member of Parliament from Aberavon, said May has yet to say what leaving will mean in practice.

“The Brexit process will give this government more power to re-shape Britain than any government has had since the Second World War,” he said in a statement. “And yet what Brexit means is still unclear, and the government has no specific mandate for its negotiating position, assuming that it has one.”</s>Britain looks set to leave the European Union by summer 2019 after triggering the formal process to pull out before the end of March next year, Theresa May has said.

The Prime Minister said Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty will be triggered in the first three months of 2017, marking the start of the two-year process to enact Brexit.

The process can be extended beyond two years if Britain and all other EU countries unanimously agree, but that prospect is seen as unlikely.

She made the announcement after revealing plans for a “Great Repeal Bill” to transpose all EU law applying to the UK into domestic law, ready for the day the country leaves the union.

Ahead of her speech on Brexit at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, Mrs May told BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show: “As you know, I have been saying that we wouldn’t trigger it before the end of this year so that we get some preparation in place.

“But yes, I will be saying in my speech today that we will trigger (Article 50) before the end of March next year.”

Mrs May added: “The remaining members of the EU have to decide what the process of negotiation is.

“I hope, and I will be saying to them, now that they know what our timing is going to be - it’s not an exact date but they know it will be in the first quarter of next year - that we’ll be able to have some preparatory work so that once the trigger comes we have a smoother process of negotiation.

“It’s not just important for the UK but important for Europe as a whole that we’re able to do this in the best possible way so we have the least disruption for businesses, and when we leave the EU we have a smooth transition from the EU.”

Mrs May said Parliament will be kept informed, adding: “This is not about keeping silent for two years, but it’s about making sure that we are able to negotiate, that we don’t set out all the cards in our negotiation because, as anybody will know who’s been involved in these things, if you do that up front, or if you give a running commentary, you don’t get the right deal.”

The Prime Minister was challenged on how she will seek to control immigration post-Brexit.

Asked if a work permit system would be adopted for skilled workers, Mrs May said: “We will look at the various ways in which we can bring in the controls that the British people want, and ensuring, as we have been in our immigration policy generally, that the brightest and best can come to the UK.”

Mrs May will later tell the Tory party conference that her “Great Repeal Bill” will scrap the 1972 European Communities Act, which gives direct effect to all EU law, and at the same time convert Brussels regulations into domestic law.

This will give Parliament the power to unpick the laws it wants to keep, remove or amend at a later date, in a move that could be welcomed by MPs keen to have a say over the terms of Brexit.

The move is also designed to give certainty to businesses and protection for workers’ rights that are part of EU law.

Brexit Secretary David Davis will also tell the conference: “To those who are trying to frighten British workers, saying ‘when we leave, employment rights will be eroded’, I say firmly and unequivocally, ‘no they won’t’.”

The Bill is expected to be brought forward in the next parliamentary session (2017-18) and will not pre-empt the two-year process of leaving the EU, which begins when the Government triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

Mr Davis will say: “It’s very simple. At the moment we leave, Britain must be back in control. And that means EU law must cease to apply.

“To ensure continuity, we will take a simple approach. EU law will be transposed into domestic law, wherever practical, on exit day.

“It will be for elected politicians here to make the changes to reflect the outcome of our negotiation and our exit.

“That is what people voted for: power and authority residing once again with the sovereign institutions of our own country.”

The repeal Bill will end the primacy of EU law, meaning rulings by the European Court of Justice will stop applying to the UK once the legislation takes effect.

It will include powers to make changes to the laws using secondary legislation as negotiations over the UK’s future relationship proceed, although more wide-ranging amendments or new laws may come forward in separate Bills.

Sir Craig Oliver, David Cameron’s former spin doctor, expressed his frustration over Mrs May’s stance during the EU referendum.

Sir Craig, who has released a book entitled Unleashing Demons: The Inside Story Of Brexit, told the BBC: “It was very difficult in the lead-up to that campaign having a Home Secretary not reveal which side she was on.

“When she did reveal which side she was on, it was 51-49 and was very equivocal.”

He added: “It’s perfectly legitimate for Theresa May to do that. What the book is doing is recounting what was it like being in Downing Street to be part of this tumultuous situation.”</s>The Government will introduce a “Great Repeal Bill” to Parliament that aims to end the authority of European law in Britain from the very first moment the country has left the EU.

The historic proposal will scrap the European Communities Act, absorbing parts into UK law while giving ministers powers to ditch other elements they want rid of.

Prime Minister Theresa May and Brexit Secretary David Davis plan to introduce the Bill as early as the spring, with its passage through Parliament set to take place in parallel to withdrawal negotiations in Brussels.

The announcement is the centrepiece of the first day of Conservative Conference, with Mr Davis set to tell the party faithful the change will mean “power and authority” returned to the UK.

But it also sets the scene for a major clash in Parliament, as the Government will have to pass the Bill through a House of Lords where the Tories are in a minority and even some Conservative peers suggest they may try and delay Brexit legislation.

Ms May is expected to implement Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, formally triggering Brexit talks, early in 2017. That starts a two-year countdown in which a withdrawal deal must be struck before the UK departs the EU.

Mr Davis will say: "As we prepare for those negotiations in Europe, we also need to prepare for the impact of Brexit on domestic law. It’s very simple. At the moment we leave, Britain must be back in control. And that means EU law must cease to apply.

"To ensure continuity, we will take a simple approach. EU law will be transposed into domestic law, wherever practical, on exit day. It will be for elected politicians here to make the changes to reflect the outcome of our negotiation and our exit.

"That is what people voted for - power and authority residing once again with the sovereign institutions of our own country."

The Great Repeal Bill will, on day one of Brexit, end the authority of EU law by abolishing the 1972 European Communities Act - the legislation which means all law formed in Europe has primacy in the UK.

Currently if there is a clash between Parliament and EU law, the European Court of Justice decides on the matter and has in the past delivered judgments binding on the UK. The Government’s planned Bill will end ECJ jurisdiction in Britain.

At the same time, the new Bill will convert existing EU law into domestic law, while allowing Parliament to amend or repeal any other EU law after scrutiny and debate.

The Bill will also include powers for ministers to make some changes by secondary legislation, which is not voted on by the Commons in the same way a piece of primary legislation would be. Ministers already have such powers to implement parts of EU law. Officials say the powers are necessary to give the Government flexibility and to take account of the negotiations with the EU as they proceed.

But Mr Davis will dismiss any suggestion that ministers intend to use Brexit to ditch workers' right and in his speech will seek to highlight areas, including annual and parental leave, where UK law goes further than minimum EU standards.

He will say: "To those who are trying to frighten British workers, saying ‘when we leave, employment rights will be eroded’, I say firmly and unequivocally ‘no they won’t’.”
Theresa May, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, announces March 2017 as the deadline for triggering Article 50 and says that her government will introduce a "Great Repeal Bill" that will repeal the European Communities Act 1972 once the United Kingdom leaves the European Union.