10:56 Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has described May’s statement as “dreadful” and her tactics “hugely damaging”. “The Prime Minister’s statement was dreadful. The EU’s view of the Chequers plan was bluntly and clearly expressed in Salzburg yesterday, but should not have come as a surprise to the UK Government, given that it was not a new position. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Photograph: Murdo Macleod/The Guardian “Clearly, the Prime Minister has not been listening – Chequers is a dead duck but if her tactic now is to try and double down on those proposals and then seek to blame the EU for a no-deal outcome, then she will do huge damage to all of those she is supposed to serve. “It would be an abdication of responsibility of huge and historic proportions and an approach for which Theresa May and the Tory party would pay a very heavy political price, especially in Scotland, which overwhelmingly rejected Brexit and whose interests in this process have been ignored at every turn by the UK Government. “What the latest development shows more clearly than ever is that the only remotely workable way for Brexit to happen is for the UK to stay in the single market and customs union. If the Prime Minister is not prepared to do that, then Brexit shouldn’t happen. A ‘No deal’ or ‘no detail‘ Brexit are simply not acceptable – particularly for Scotland, where we did not vote for any of this.” Yesterday, Sturgeon wrote to the leaders of the UK’s opposition parties asking them to join her in pressing for an extension to next March’s deadline for leaving the EU to avoid “an economic cliff edge”.<doc-sep>THE Prime Minister gave a bombshell statement at Number 10 this afternoon after being snubbed by EU leaders yesterday. She gave an update on Britain's Brexit policy after her Chequers plan for a soft exit from Europe was ripped up by her bullish European counterparts. Here's the latest. 2 Theresa May blasted her EU counterparts - suggesting that they were not showing the UK the same respect as they had received from Britain Credit: Sky News What was Theresa May's Brexit speech? Theresa May spoke from Downing Street at 2pm this afternoon to update the public on the ongoing Brexit negotiations. The scathing speech - in which she blasted EU leaders for not showing the UK "respect" - came in the wake of the rejection of her Chequers plans by EU leaders in Salzburg. European Council President Donald Tusk yesterday ripped up Mrs May's blueprint for Brexit — saying it risked the integrity of the EU single market and the Northern Ireland border. Key EU leaders including Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron also said significant progress was needed by the European Council summit on October 18 if agreement on the UK's withdrawal deal was to be reached. But hitting back, the Prime Minister today said the UK has "treated the EU with nothing but respect" — and "the UK expects the same". She added : "A good relationship at the end of this process depends on it." Mrs May admitted talks had reached an "impasse" over two main issues where the EU and UK remain a "long way apart" in their Brexit negotiations. The post-Brexit economic relationship between Britain and the EU and the impact on the Irish border have become the main sticking points. Mrs May concluded her statement by saying: “The EU should be clear, I will not overturn the result of the referendum, nor will I break up my country. "We need serious engagement in resolving the two big issues in the negotiations and we stand ready.” 2 Theresa May's Brexit plan was snubbed by EU leaders in Salzburg yesterday - prompting the update from Number 10 Credit: Reuters Did the Prime Minister resign? Mrs May did not resign and was not expected to. Earlier, she indicated that she will come forward "shortly" with new proposals on the thorny issue of the Irish border — which has emerged as the main obstacle to progress. Elsewhere, Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab earlier vented his frustration over the Salzburg summit as he accused EU leaders of putting "the handbrake" on negotiations. Mr Raab, appearing on the BBC's Politics Live, said: "We've been rebuffed on our plans without any coherent explanation as to why, there's these sort of rather dogmatic pleas to the single market unity but our plans were very carefully crafted around that." He added: "We're going to hold our nerve, stay calm and keep negotiating in good faith. "We've revved up the motor of these negotiations, I've been out there a lot more frequently to get motoring, to make progress and the EU have just yanked up the handbrake and for the negotiations to go forward they're going to have to take their hand off the handbrake." MOST READ IN NEWS 'GOBSMACKED' Queen 'gave Harry OK for Oprah series after misleading pitch about soldiers' ROD LIDDLE Ousting right-on National Trust boss is a victory against wokery DRUMMER DEAD School Of Rock star dies at 32 after being hit by car as Jack Black mourns HOUSE ABOUT IT You won't believe what this ordinary London home looks like on the inside Exclusive TOM'S LEGACY Captain Tom Moore — who raised £39m for charity — left family £73k in will JABS HOPE Scientists 'crack cause of blood clots linked to Covid jabs & know how to fix it' Mr Raab also criticised Donald Tusk for posting a picture on social media of himself offering the Prime Minister a cake with the caption "sorry, no cherries". He said: "I think some of the way that it was done, social media against the Prime Minister didn't feel like very statesman-like behaviour." The Brexit Secretary went on to praise Mrs May, telling the BBC that she was "a very stoic, resilient character". He added: "There's a big question mark about whether the EU is really serious about the substance of these negotiations." Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab hits out at EU for having ‘no coherent’ explanation for why they rebuffed Chequers<doc-sep>Theresa May has rounded on the European Commission and her fellow heads of government in a speech which takes the United Kingdom ever closer to leaving the European Union without a deal. The Prime Minister, whose proposals for the final Brexit deal have no realistic prospect of winning a majority in Parliament or winning support in the European Union, called on European member states to lay out their own proposals for the final EU-UK relationships in an astonishing statement that at times appeared to be barely adjacent to reality. The truth is that the other 27 member states and the Commission have been crystal clear: the United Kingdom can either have a distant “low regulatory freedom, high market access” arrangement or Norway style deal, or a “high regulatory freedom, low market access” arrangement in the manner of Canada. A Canada-style deal would require either a regulatory border in the Irish Sea – unacceptable to the DUP, whose support is vital to sustaining the Conservative government in office – or a hard border on the island of Ireland itself, unacceptable to Ireland, which as a member state holds a veto over the final free trade agreement. Neither arrangement could secure a majority in the House of Commons as it currently stands. The so-called “backstop” agrees that, in the event that the EU and the UK are unable to reach an agreement, Northern Ireland will remain within the regulatory orbit of the European Union, creating a regulatory border in the Irish Sea: an arrangement that May now describes as unacceptable despite having signed up to it in December 2017. May’s Chequers’ proposals - which she doubled down on - please nobody. In the United Kingdom, they contain far too great a degree of rule-following for supporters of a Canada-type arrangement, but they provide too little market access to be supported by those who want a Norway-style deal. As far as the EU goes, the pick-and-mix of rights and obligations that May chooses are also unacceptable, as member states fear they risk unravelling the single market. Is there any hope of avoiding a no-deal exit? Optimists will hope that the important part of May’s speech was not the sabre-rattling but the brief statement that the United Kingdom will bring forward alternate proposals to the backstop that maintains the territorial integrity of the United Kingdom: likely a proposal that the whole of the United Kingdom would have full regulatory alignment with the bloc in the absence of agreed solutions. But with so much goodwill eroded among the EU27 and with that deal very far indeed from what Conservative Brexiteers want, it is unclear whether that arrangement could win support among the EU, let alone at Westminster.<doc-sep>Prime Minister Theresa May is to deliver a surprise statement on Brexit outside No 10 Downing Street. The speech is to be delivered at 1.45pm and ti follows criticism for her so called Chequers plan from EU leaders. Speculation is rife over the nature of the snap announcement. The UK government has been forced to insist the plan for taking the UK out of the European Union in March. Theresa May claims her plan for the UK and EU to share a "common rulebook" for goods, but not services, is the only credible way to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. But she has faced opposition from many within her own party who argue it would compromise the UK's sovereignty. The BBC have reported European Council President Donald Tusk said there were some "positive elements" in the plan but EU leaders had agreed the proposals need to be redrawn. "The suggested framework for economic co-operation will not work, not least because it is undermining the single market." More to follow.<doc-sep>
In her speech, the Prime Minister has called on the EU to present fresh proposals on the subjects of Northern Ireland and trade. Mrs May warned that without Brussels taking a step forward, progress in further Brexit talks would not be possible. This comes after her Brexit plans were rejected at the EU Summit in Salzburg, prompting negotiations to reach an “impasse”. The Prime Minister has now firmly placed the responsibility of moving negotiations forward on the EU’s shoulders. Here are some key quotes from today’s statement on important issues in Brexit negotiations.On the progress of negotiations with the EU: “I have always said that these negotiations would be tough - and they were always bound to be toughest in the final straight. “While both sides want a deal, we have to face up to the fact that - despite the progress we have made - there are two big issues where we remain a long way apart.” On a Norway-style trade agreement: “In plain English, this would mean we’d still have to abide by all the EU rules, uncontrolled immigration from the EU would continue and we couldn’t do the trade deals we want with other countries. Theresa May spoke at Downing Street detailing the progress of Brexit negotiations “That would make a mockery of the referendum we had two years ago.” On a Canada-style free trade deal and a customs border through the Irish Sea: “It is something I will never agree to - indeed, in my judgement it is something no British Prime Minister would ever agree to. “If the EU believe I will, they are making a fundamental mistake.” On her treatment at the EU Summit in Salzburg: “Throughout this process, I have treated the EU with nothing but respect. “The UK expects the same. A good relationship at the end of this process depends on it. “At this late stage in the negotiations, it is not acceptable to simply reject the other side’s proposals without a detailed explanation and counter proposals.” Theresa May with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Salzburg Governor Wilfried Haslauer On the Irish border backstop: “The EU is proposing to achieve this by effectively keeping Northern Ireland in the Customs Union. As I have already said, that is unacceptable. “We will never agree to it. It would mean breaking up our country. “We will set out our alternative that preserves the integrity of the UK.” Theresa May's Brexit plans were rejected at the EU summit in Salzberg On red lines in negotiations: “As I told EU leaders, neither side should demand the unacceptable of the other. “We cannot accept anything that threatens the integrity of our union, just as they cannot accept anything that threatens the integrity of theirs. “We cannot accept anything that does not respect the result of the referendum, just as they cannot accept anything that is not in the interest of their citizens.” On the position of EU citizens post-Brexit: "First, there are over 3 million EU citizens living in the UK who will be understandably worried about what the outcome of yesterday’s summit means for their future. "I want to be clear with you that even in the event of no deal your rights will be protected. You are our friends, our neighbours, our colleagues. We want you to stay." On the referendum result and her dedication to Brexit: “The referendum was the largest democratic exercise this country has ever undergone. “To deny its legitimacy or frustrate its result threatens public trust in our democracy. “That is why for over two years I have worked day and night to deliver a deal that sees the UK leave the EU. Theresa May called on the EU to take a step forward and suggest a plan for Brexit