:00:10. > :00:13.Hello and welcome to a special edition of 100 Days -
:00:14. > :00:16.I'm Christian Fraser live from Westminster on this the day,
:00:17. > :00:18.the British government begins the process of leaving
:00:19. > :00:24.An official hand delivered letter to the EU formally triggers a two
:00:25. > :00:38.This is an historic moment from which there can be no turning back.
:00:39. > :00:42.Britain is leading the European Union. So here it is.
:00:43. > :00:53.says his priority is to defend the remaining member states.
:00:54. > :00:57.Brexit has made as a community of 27 more determined and more united than
:00:58. > :00:59.before. We'll hear from Brussels,
:01:00. > :01:02.Spain and across the UK. And I'm Michelle Fleury
:01:03. > :01:05.in Washington - our other headlines. What are the opportunities
:01:06. > :01:07.and dangers for markets across the world of two years
:01:08. > :01:24.of talks, then Brexit? Have seen under the Common fisheries
:01:25. > :01:25.policy is the hardships and a client of the communities that I live work
:01:26. > :01:26.in. And dear Europe, people
:01:27. > :01:28.from across Britain say It has taken nine months but today
:01:29. > :01:41.Britain took the decisive step towards leaving the European Union,
:01:42. > :01:44.and a relationship that has bound this country to the continent
:01:45. > :01:48.for over 40 years. The British Prime Minister's letter
:01:49. > :01:51.- just six pages long - was transferred to the President
:01:52. > :01:54.of the European Council by the UK's That very simple process
:01:55. > :02:03.triggers Article 50 - beginning two years of devilishly
:02:04. > :02:05.difficult negotiation. The deal that is agreed - or maybe
:02:06. > :02:09.there will be no deal agreed - but either way the outcome holds
:02:10. > :02:11.consequences not only for the four nations of this United Kingdom -
:02:12. > :02:14.but also for the future We will look at all of that tonight,
:02:15. > :02:18.but first let's hear from our political editor
:02:19. > :02:19.Laura Kuenssberg The minute in Westminster, Belfast,
:02:20. > :02:31.Edinburgh and Cardiff that the United Kingdom
:02:32. > :02:34.formally changed course. The Article 50 process is now
:02:35. > :02:37.underway and in accordance with the wishes of the British
:02:38. > :02:40.people, the United Kingdom This is an historic moment
:02:41. > :02:47.from which there can Probably our last ambassador
:02:48. > :02:54.to the European Union handing over The document that says
:02:55. > :03:01.we are on our way out. Theresa May's signature
:03:02. > :03:03.on our departure. A country that goes out
:03:04. > :03:10.into the world to build relationships with old friends
:03:11. > :03:12.and new allies alike. And that is why I have set out
:03:13. > :03:16.a clear and ambitious plan It is a plan for a new,
:03:17. > :03:21.deep and special partnership between Her decisions about how mean
:03:22. > :03:29.we are out of the single market As European leaders have said many
:03:30. > :03:36.times, we cannot cherry pick and remain members of the single
:03:37. > :03:39.market without accepting the four A friendlier tone to the continent,
:03:40. > :03:47.an ambition to bring Mr Speaker, when I sit around
:03:48. > :03:51.the negotiating table in the months ahead I will represent every person
:03:52. > :03:54.in the United Kingdom, young and old, rich and poor, town
:03:55. > :03:57.and country and all the villages And yes, those EU nationals that
:03:58. > :04:04.have made this country their home. And it is my fierce
:04:05. > :04:07.determination to get the right In perhaps the most important letter
:04:08. > :04:19.that she'll ever pen, the Prime Minister spoke of her hope
:04:20. > :04:22.to give reassurance quickly to the millions of EU citizens
:04:23. > :04:25.who live here and Brits abroad. We should always put our citizens
:04:26. > :04:27.first, we should aim to strike an early agreement
:04:28. > :04:29.about their rights. The Prime Minister wants a free
:04:30. > :04:33.trade deal with the EU of greater A bold hope seen as naive by some
:04:34. > :04:43.to try to protect firms who do business around the continent
:04:44. > :04:45.from rules and barriers. No overt threat to walk away
:04:46. > :04:47.but a serious warning. A failure to reach agreement
:04:48. > :04:49.would mean our co-operation in the fight against crime
:04:50. > :04:52.and terrorism would be weakened. We must work hard to
:04:53. > :04:55.avoid that outcome. She wants also to agree the terms
:04:56. > :05:04.of our future partnership alongside those of our withdrawal from the EU,
:05:05. > :05:07.to work out how we leave at the same Labour aren't the only ones
:05:08. > :05:14.sceptical she can deliver. If the Prime Minister
:05:15. > :05:17.can deliver a deal that meets our tests that will be fine,
:05:18. > :05:20.we will back her. More than ever Britain needs
:05:21. > :05:22.a government that will deliver for the whole country,
:05:23. > :05:24.not just the few. And that is the ultimate
:05:25. > :05:26.test of the Brexit deal that the Prime Minister
:05:27. > :05:30.must now secure. Memories of today
:05:31. > :05:34.will be so different. Even though that's not actually
:05:35. > :05:46.the Foreign Secretary. That's the sense in
:05:47. > :05:52.the home of the EU. There's no reason to pretend
:05:53. > :05:55.that this is a happy day, Some powers coming back
:05:56. > :06:14.from Brussels will bypass this place and flow to Holyrood,
:06:15. > :06:16.Cardiff and Stormont. For Remainers here and in
:06:17. > :06:18.the Scottish Government those The Prime Minister still can't
:06:19. > :06:21.answer basic questions about what Brexit will mean
:06:22. > :06:23.for businesses, the economy generally and for the type
:06:24. > :06:25.of society we live in. This six simple pages will do much
:06:26. > :06:28.to determine our place The letter is less abrasive in tone
:06:29. > :06:43.to the rest of the EU than when Mrs May started
:06:44. > :06:45.as Prime Minister. But she still had to persuade
:06:46. > :06:47.her party she really Now the clamour of the referenda
:06:48. > :06:55.misconduct, the tone Remember we bring a lot to the table
:06:56. > :07:02.when it comes to policing, It wasn't firing a shot
:07:03. > :07:06.but she was just making a reminder, It is exciting but I don't
:07:07. > :07:10.underestimate the scale of the task that lies ahead
:07:11. > :07:12.in the next two years. What has happened today
:07:13. > :07:14.is the biggest stimulation of British power and sovereignty
:07:15. > :07:16.in my lifetime. A letter which is really
:07:17. > :07:18.about kicking off a trade negotiation had six mentions
:07:19. > :07:20.of trade and 11 It struck me as a reckless
:07:21. > :07:24.series of threats. Not that he ever needs a reason
:07:25. > :07:27.to be pictured with a pint, Today, for me, after 25
:07:28. > :07:32.years of campaigning, the impossible dream came true,
:07:33. > :07:35.I'm very pleased. What matters now is that we have
:07:36. > :07:42.a successful negotiation and try to maintain a close
:07:43. > :07:45.relationship between Britain In a rare interview inside number
:07:46. > :07:50.ten the Prime Minister promised, despite all the challenges,
:07:51. > :07:53.our relationship with the rest of What we are both looking for is that
:07:54. > :07:59.comprehensive free trade agreement which gives that ability to trade
:08:00. > :08:02.freely into the European single market and for
:08:03. > :08:06.them to trade with us. It will be a different relationship
:08:07. > :08:09.but I think it will have the same benefits in terms of that free
:08:10. > :08:12.access to trade. An assertion that will
:08:13. > :08:14.take a lot to prove. One her counterparts in Europe
:08:15. > :08:19.struggle to believe. Number ten's time for preparation
:08:20. > :08:30.is up, now time to try to persuade. With me now is our Chief
:08:31. > :08:33.Political Correspondent, Vicki Young and in Brussels,
:08:34. > :08:47.my colleague Ben Brown. That piece talked about the town and
:08:48. > :08:50.it is different, warm and conciliatory. She is setting up the
:08:51. > :08:56.environment for the negotiations. When you go into negotiations you
:08:57. > :09:00.must have the bottom line is, but the UK Government is trying to say
:09:01. > :09:03.we are not just any third country trying to do a deal, we have been
:09:04. > :09:09.part of your life for the past 40 years. We have been interwoven, the
:09:10. > :09:13.economy is, politically, and we can continue that close relationship.
:09:14. > :09:17.She spoke about a deep and special partnership. Four or five times in
:09:18. > :09:21.the letter that is what she talks about so clearly she's going in
:09:22. > :09:26.trying to be positive. I think the interesting thing is we heard a lot
:09:27. > :09:29.about no deal is better than a bad deal but today she made it clear
:09:30. > :09:33.that is not what she wants. It may be what some of MPs think would be
:09:34. > :09:38.perfectly OK, not what she's going for. She said the EU could cope with
:09:39. > :09:45.no deal but should not be what they're aiming for. So very much
:09:46. > :09:47.going in trying to get a good deal. Well the tone was important in this
:09:48. > :09:54.letter and also interesting in Brussels as well. Yes and the town
:09:55. > :09:58.of the response I think has overwhelmingly been one of sadness.
:09:59. > :10:03.Donald Tusk after receiving the letter at lunchtime said, we miss
:10:04. > :10:07.you already, he could not pretend to be happy and so on. So obviously
:10:08. > :10:12.everyone knew that this day was coming but now it has arrived, a
:10:13. > :10:16.mood of some sadness and disappointment. A little irritation
:10:17. > :10:21.I have to say at what has been perceived in Brussels as an attempt
:10:22. > :10:27.by Theresa May in that letter to link security and trade and possibly
:10:28. > :10:34.or the reading here is maybe to use security as a bargaining chip. And
:10:35. > :10:36.Guy Verhofstadt, the chief Brexit negotiator for the European
:10:37. > :10:42.Parliament, said they would not accept any attempt by the British to
:10:43. > :10:48.link security cooperation and trade. And that is an important point,
:10:49. > :10:52.security has been used for leveraged in this letter, Amber Rudd said if
:10:53. > :10:56.we took money back from Europol we would also take information. That
:10:57. > :11:02.has raised some eyebrows. It caused quite a stir, Theresa May in the
:11:03. > :11:05.letter talking about going to WTO rules but also saying in security
:11:06. > :11:10.terms of failure to reach agreement would mean the fight against crime
:11:11. > :11:13.and terrorism would be weakened in terms of cooperation. Downing Street
:11:14. > :11:18.said it is not a threat, just the reality. The reality with things
:11:19. > :11:22.like Europol if we have a lot of information in there and they cannot
:11:23. > :11:26.just expect that to continue if there is no deal. The stakes are
:11:27. > :11:30.very high but of course it is going to be a compromise and the danger
:11:31. > :11:35.with that is no one is happy at the end of it. Thank you both.
:11:36. > :11:38.Nine months is a long time for people to reflect on the vote
:11:39. > :11:43.Well - this is by no means conclusive -
:11:44. > :11:48.but it is a YouGov poll that has been tracking opinions each month,
:11:49. > :11:51.and you can see that broadly speaking Britain is still as divided
:11:52. > :11:54.as it was at last June's referendum when the UK voted to leave
:11:55. > :12:01.Factor in the don't knows and opinion doesn't appear
:12:02. > :12:07.So after 44 years together it is time to write
:12:08. > :12:09.those goodbye letters - here's what some people will miss
:12:10. > :12:13.about EU membership, and what some people will not.
:12:14. > :12:23.Well, it's time for us to go our separate ways and personally,
:12:24. > :12:32.I'm not sure we deserved all the insults.
:12:33. > :12:34.Everything that the technocrats in Brussels seemed to touch falls
:12:35. > :12:45.You've always been central to my life.
:12:46. > :12:47.Summering on the beach in Portugal or making baklava
:12:48. > :12:50.Vous allez perdre un mauvais locataire.
:12:51. > :12:55.What the people voted for in June last year was to take back control.
:12:56. > :12:58.It is important that we do not forget or lose sight
:12:59. > :13:08.Many of us still appreciate your best qualities.
:13:09. > :13:11.All that I have seen under three common fisheries policy
:13:12. > :13:13.is is the decline and the hardships of the communities
:13:14. > :13:19.And we have enjoyed access to a skilled labour force from Europe.
:13:20. > :13:21.I'm looking forward to a relationship based
:13:22. > :13:29.We are who we are because of Europe, not despite of it.
:13:30. > :13:35.Not perfect, but if we work together, we can emerge stronger.
:13:36. > :13:39.We are leaving the European Union, but we're not going to go away.
:13:40. > :13:44.No man is an island, entire of itself.
:13:45. > :13:54.Maybe one day the next generation will decide against divorce.
:13:55. > :13:58.Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.
:13:59. > :14:01.If a clot be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less.
:14:02. > :14:03.Europe will lose a bad tenant, but gain a good neighbour.
:14:04. > :14:12.As farmers we will roll up our sleeves and will adapt.
:14:13. > :14:15.I do not want you to see this as a terminal divorce.
:14:16. > :14:25.Well, that video ended with Douglas Carswell -
:14:26. > :14:31.formerly of the UK Independence Party he's now an Independent MP
:14:32. > :14:34.and campaigned to leave the EU - also with me is Catherine West -
:14:35. > :14:46.Your constituency was the top remain constituency in the country so
:14:47. > :14:50.naturally you voted against the Brexit Bill despite of the whip in
:14:51. > :14:54.your party. But you have not done much to stop the Brexit Bill and
:14:55. > :14:58.many are unhappy about that. Unfortunately it is quite a sad day
:14:59. > :15:03.for me and my constituency. There are questions which today raises and
:15:04. > :15:07.we did not have many answers from the Prime Minister, just a lot of
:15:08. > :15:11.uncertainty and concern over jobs and inflation and the fall in
:15:12. > :15:16.sterling. Worries about public services if there is not enough tax
:15:17. > :15:21.income for example if we go into a tax haven like state. Many questions
:15:22. > :15:25.about security arrangements to keep us safe. Lots of questions around
:15:26. > :15:29.the future for our children. Some are young people said to me that
:15:30. > :15:34.they were upset that they did not get to vote, and secondly they feel
:15:35. > :15:38.a door has been closed by the older generation on their future. It just
:15:39. > :15:42.raises all those questions and I'm worried about the future. Douglas,
:15:43. > :15:48.you devoted your entire career to this moment so I would imagine the
:15:49. > :15:54.mood is different. In the letter the Prime Minister I sense a bit of give
:15:55. > :15:57.and take, are you in the mood for copper mines? We need to be
:15:58. > :16:00.pragmatic, and people like Catherine and her constituents need
:16:01. > :16:05.reassurance. I have campaigned to get us out of the EU but I believe
:16:06. > :16:08.in a liberal Brexit. For us to be a successful country we need to be
:16:09. > :16:13.politically independent but also need to be economically
:16:14. > :16:17.interdependent. We need to find a relationship with Europe that allows
:16:18. > :16:22.a liberal, global Britain to engage with our neighbours and I hope
:16:23. > :16:28.Catherine and many others will be reassured that this is not the Nigel
:16:29. > :16:33.Farage vision of Brexit. Would you both agree on one pointedly is that
:16:34. > :16:37.for the last nine months we have been divided, and now surely as
:16:38. > :16:42.politicians in that big house over there, you are batting for UK plc,
:16:43. > :16:47.and are on the same side. Of course I did today I was speaking to people
:16:48. > :16:51.about China and the economy but we have to remember the EU is still our
:16:52. > :16:58.biggest market. We cannot pretend that fact is not correct. We must
:16:59. > :17:02.base our approach on evidence. I think we've got our tests in labour
:17:03. > :17:07.and we have outlined that strongly about the economy and jobs. Around
:17:08. > :17:11.the drop in sterling and what that will do to confidence in the
:17:12. > :17:15.economy. And I'm concerned about public services because if the
:17:16. > :17:20.economy goes down, it will not be Nigel Farage with infected but
:17:21. > :17:24.people in J Wick who will feel the pain. So I'm worried about people on
:17:25. > :17:30.low and middle incomes, what will happen to them if the economy goes
:17:31. > :17:35.into decline. By leaving the failing customs union and becoming global,
:17:36. > :17:39.we can about -- we can open up to where the growth is. It is not just
:17:40. > :17:42.about leaving the EU, for a generation a small clique of people
:17:43. > :17:46.have made public policy in this country with no reference to the
:17:47. > :17:51.public. Once we left we can make sure the people who make public
:17:52. > :17:55.policy are properly accountable to the public. We can change all manner
:17:56. > :18:00.of public policy and the possibility is exciting. I would like to see
:18:01. > :18:07.higher environmental standards. As long as we're the EU we have minimal
:18:08. > :18:11.environmental standards which become the maximum. What we can do as a
:18:12. > :18:14.country opens up. The Prime Minister has given an interview to Andrew
:18:15. > :18:17.Neil tonight and she says it is possible to get a new free trade
:18:18. > :18:23.agreement just as good as being in the single market. US experts have
:18:24. > :18:28.told me they think a trade deal with the UK will take at least ten years
:18:29. > :18:32.to negotiate. That is a long time. But do you believe it will be just
:18:33. > :18:37.as good on the other side? I think we have a lot to lose. There are no
:18:38. > :18:41.restrictions on the moment on cross channel trade and I know of no one
:18:42. > :18:45.who wants to impose those so I think we will have good market access. I
:18:46. > :18:48.think we need to look at how we cooperate in areas of security and
:18:49. > :18:53.defence, the fight against terrorism and make sure we do not trust the
:18:54. > :18:56.kind of people who have been running the Europe with security and
:18:57. > :19:03.intelligence. We have got to cooperate in new ways. We are out of
:19:04. > :19:10.time, thank you very much. While the focus today has been on London. I've
:19:11. > :19:15.been watching the markets, and they did not move much in Washington. A
:19:16. > :19:21.pretty muted response. The currency in fact was up, what are they make
:19:22. > :19:25.of it over in the United States. Well if you look at the pound it was
:19:26. > :19:30.under pressure but the market seemed to take it in their stride broadly
:19:31. > :19:35.speaking. This is something we have been waiting for today for a long
:19:36. > :19:39.time. But the bank stocks were under pressure because of course they are
:19:40. > :19:44.big employers in the UK and there are questions we are waiting to find
:19:45. > :19:50.out answers for. I got the chance a short time ago to speak to someone
:19:51. > :19:54.about the financial implications of Brexit, Mr Goolsbee,
:19:55. > :19:59.who formerly served the chairman of President Obama's Council
:20:00. > :20:01.of Economic Advisors. Austin Goolsbee, thank you very much
:20:02. > :20:05.for joining us on the show. I'm keen to get
:20:06. > :20:07.a perspective sense from What do you think people
:20:08. > :20:10.here and particularly the markets You know, we are dealing
:20:11. > :20:14.with our own version of kind of the forces
:20:15. > :20:16.of Brexit in the US. I would say the US perspective
:20:17. > :20:19.on Brexit is coloured by Donald Trump and we have the experience in
:20:20. > :20:23.the US that Donald Trump is elected, actually the market
:20:24. > :20:27.responds in a positive going to get a lot of policy done
:20:28. > :20:39.perhaps or we are going to And now it has slowly
:20:40. > :20:42.been kind of falling And it feels a little bit
:20:43. > :20:45.that way perhaps for Brexit, that the initial naysayers,
:20:46. > :20:51.their fears were perhaps overstated. But now as you get
:20:52. > :20:54.into the long slog, $60 billion bill associated with
:20:55. > :21:01.Brexit, and if you're not going to be able to negotiate a trade
:21:02. > :21:13.arrangement with the EU in a relevant time frame,
:21:14. > :21:16.then kind of a slow bleed I remember going back to the time
:21:17. > :21:20.of the vote, you said it It seems like you
:21:21. > :21:24.still feel like that. Immigration of course an issue that
:21:25. > :21:37.helped to propel him to victory. Here, immigration a key
:21:38. > :21:39.issue in the Brexit vote. How important do you think
:21:40. > :21:43.that is going to be going forward in You know, we've got to ask
:21:44. > :21:46.the Europeans that. But it feels like it
:21:47. > :21:48.is very important. It could be drowned out
:21:49. > :21:50.depending on what happens in elections in some
:21:51. > :21:51.of the other EU countries that remain,
:21:52. > :21:54.particularly in France. But I think that the basic
:21:55. > :21:56.proposition of the Brexiteers was, nothing will go
:21:57. > :22:00.wrong in the economy and the only change is that we will be able
:22:01. > :22:02.to stop as much immigration And it just feels to me
:22:03. > :22:10.like that is definitely not going to Obviously a lot on the table
:22:11. > :22:15.in terms of trying to get a But what about the prospect
:22:16. > :22:19.of a trade deal with the I think you've seen Donald Trump
:22:20. > :22:27.express, I do not know if you would call it willingness,
:22:28. > :22:30.but say, you know, we are pals and we're going to move
:22:31. > :22:32.you to the front of Echoing the kind of maybe poorly
:22:33. > :22:37.chosen words of Barack But I think realistically the chance
:22:38. > :22:41.that in the next two years the UK would be able
:22:42. > :22:48.to negotiate a trade agreement and sign it and get
:22:49. > :22:50.it through the US, that seems
:22:51. > :23:03.very unlikely to me. some interesting thoughts. Much
:23:04. > :23:10.importance being put a future American trade deal of course.
:23:11. > :23:12.Well, one of the first things the politicians have pledged
:23:13. > :23:15.to solve in the weeks ahead is the future of three million EU
:23:16. > :23:18.citizens living here in Britain and around one million British
:23:19. > :23:24.Let's go to Spain - our correspondent Gavin Lee
:23:25. > :23:27.who is on the Costa Blanca - and big number of British people
:23:28. > :23:30.there Gavin who would like a bit more certainty?
:23:31. > :23:38.It is pretty idyllic here on the sun but all along the coastlines there
:23:39. > :23:41.are so many British people here, 300,000 in Spain, more than anywhere
:23:42. > :23:45.else in Europe. One third of the total number of Brits. What is
:23:46. > :23:50.interesting, a year ago before the referendum a lot of people were
:23:51. > :23:54.panicking, very cautious and saying it is a bad thing. I found very few
:23:55. > :23:58.people openly saying they thought Brexit was a good idea. But now
:23:59. > :24:03.actually people are more pragmatic, many on the coast saying they're
:24:04. > :24:06.hoping and waiting for the idea of what happens to the future of Brits
:24:07. > :24:10.in Europe as negotiate a straightaway. Quite a lot of people
:24:11. > :24:15.openly saying we did vote for Brexit, we're happy with it and it
:24:16. > :24:21.is a good thing, we do not like immigration, aware of sand in the
:24:22. > :24:25.critical, but also I have met people who are starting to go back to the
:24:26. > :24:31.UK. And they believe with health care and pensions, that might start
:24:32. > :24:34.to seize up and they are making their own way back again. Thank you
:24:35. > :24:36.for that. A lot of the focus has been on this
:24:37. > :24:39.building behind me today - the House of Commons -
:24:40. > :24:42.but we did pause for a short while this afternoon to remember
:24:43. > :24:44.those who lost their lives in the terror attack last week,
:24:45. > :24:47.and the many who were injured. Police officers, faith leaders
:24:48. > :24:49.and members of the public gathered on Westminster Bridge to observe
:24:50. > :24:52.a minute's silence - at 1440 - Similar events were held
:24:53. > :24:59.around the country. Prince William visited a police
:25:00. > :25:02.memorial in Staffordshire where he laid a wreath for PC
:25:03. > :25:06.Keith Palmer, the officer stabbed by the attacker at the gates
:25:07. > :25:13.of the parliamentary estate. You're watching 100
:25:14. > :25:18.Days from BBC News. Still to come for viewers on the BBC
:25:19. > :25:23.News Channel and BBC World News - Prime Minster Theresa May tells
:25:24. > :25:26.the BBC she remains determined to get a free
:25:27. > :25:28.trade deal for Britain. If what the European
:25:29. > :25:39.Commission is saying, that's unlikely to happen -
:25:40. > :25:41.they want the divorce first, then a deal -
:25:42. > :25:44.will they just go around in circles? That's a question we'll be asking
:25:45. > :26:16.when 100 Days returns Hello. The wind is coming more from
:26:17. > :26:20.the South which drags up warm air but to achieve high temperatures we
:26:21. > :26:24.need sunshine and there was not a great deal of that today filled up
:26:25. > :26:27.the cloud still big enough to get outbreaks of rain especially across
:26:28. > :26:33.northern and western parts of the UK. Damian across Scotland, heavy
:26:34. > :26:36.for a time and flirting with the south-east of England and up to the
:26:37. > :26:40.Midlands. But a lot of cloud over night, really mild but the time of
:26:41. > :26:46.year. A little bit colder across northern Scotland, and during the
:26:47. > :26:50.day it will be warmer in the north-east of Scotland than it has
:26:51. > :26:53.been for some time. Some rain is not far away from Northern Ireland,
:26:54. > :26:59.affecting mainly used in part through the day. Continue on into
:27:00. > :27:04.Cumbria and up into Dumfries Galloway. So the rain not far away
:27:05. > :27:08.from western parts of Wales, running through the Midlands and across
:27:09. > :27:11.Lincolnshire. That tends to push away and already brighter skies
:27:12. > :27:17.developing in the south-east. As the main retreats back towards the North
:27:18. > :27:21.West UK, mainly affecting areas along the Irish Sea, so we have more
:27:22. > :27:25.sunshine coming in across England and Wales. We will get some sunshine
:27:26. > :27:30.and some of that warmth in the southerly wind. It could be the
:27:31. > :27:36.warmest day of the year so far. Even further north and west temperatures
:27:37. > :27:45.pretty good for the time of year. More rain on Friday, moving into
:27:46. > :27:49.Scotland. That weather front is pretty weak. Behind that we have
:27:50. > :27:52.slightly fresher air but more in the way sunshine so it should feel quite
:27:53. > :27:58.pleasant again on Friday afternoon. The weekend Saturday will see little
:27:59. > :28:04.sunshine but also some showers that could be almost anywhere. And though
:28:05. > :28:08.showers will be slow-moving. Any sunshine and it feels quite pleasant
:28:09. > :28:13.again. A cold night to come on Saturday night because the showers
:28:14. > :28:16.get pushed away by this developing Ridge of high pressure that is
:28:17. > :28:19.building in from the foul. Keeping the weather front at bay for the
:28:20. > :28:23.time being. But the second half of the weekend is going to be much
:28:24. > :28:28.drier and brighter, again the wind light for most. Some sunshine making
:28:29. > :30:10.it feel pleasant and highs of 16 or 17 Celsius.
:30:11. > :30:14.Welcome back to this special edition of 100 Days,
:30:15. > :30:26.The British Government begins the process of leaving
:30:27. > :30:28.the European Union - an official hand-delivered letter
:30:29. > :30:32.to the EU formally triggers a two-year countdown to Brexit.
:30:33. > :30:36.And coming up, reaction from the Prime Minister in a rare interview
:30:37. > :30:42.from inside Number Ten Downing Street. We also live in Brussels for
:30:43. > :30:48.more on the view from Europe. -- we are also live.
:30:49. > :30:51.The British Prime Minister took nine months to trigger Article 50.
:30:52. > :30:54.If that was a challenge, it pales in comparison to what lies ahead.
:30:55. > :30:58.Theresa May is fighting on so many levels, in Europe,
:30:59. > :31:01.with the opposition in the Commons behind me, she is fighting to keep
:31:02. > :31:03.the union together with Scotland demanding a referendum,
:31:04. > :31:09.she is fighting to keep her own party on side.
:31:10. > :31:12.And if she manages all that, how on earth will Theresa May
:31:13. > :31:14.satisfy the electorate, when they wanted such different
:31:15. > :31:18.Mrs May has been speaking to my colleague Andrew Neil
:31:19. > :31:28.What we will be working for and what I believe we can get is a
:31:29. > :31:33.comprehensive free trade agreement. We are looking, we would like to see
:31:34. > :31:36.as frictionless and free trade is possible, tariff free across
:31:37. > :31:43.borders, so we can continue that trade with the European union. Can
:31:44. > :31:45.it be as good? It will be a different relationship, that is the
:31:46. > :31:48.point, because it went be a relationship based on membership of
:31:49. > :31:54.the single market and are accepting all the other things that voters
:31:55. > :31:57.rejected. What it will be will be that we want that new partnership
:31:58. > :32:01.with the EU, we still want to work with you and cooperate with you and
:32:02. > :32:05.actually, getting a trade agreement isn't just about the UK, it is not
:32:06. > :32:09.just about our business, it is about businesses in other countries being
:32:10. > :32:13.able to trade with us. So I think it's in the interests of both sides
:32:14. > :32:17.to agree a really good deal. I understand that but your Brexit
:32:18. > :32:22.Minister David Davis, he said there will be a free-trade deal which
:32:23. > :32:26.will, "Deliver the exact same benefits we enjoy now." You and I
:32:27. > :32:31.know that cannot be true, the European Union will never agree to
:32:32. > :32:33.the exact same benefits. What we are both looking for is that
:32:34. > :32:36.comprehensive free-trade agreement which gives that ability to trade
:32:37. > :32:42.freely into the European single market. But it can't be the same
:32:43. > :32:45.benefits. And for them to trade laws. It will be a different
:32:46. > :32:49.relationship but it can have the same benefits in terms of that free
:32:50. > :32:53.access to trade. When we leave the EU, we end our membership of
:32:54. > :33:04.something like 40 pan-European agencies and other things, security,
:33:05. > :33:11.hair care. One is significant, given the events in Westminster last week,
:33:12. > :33:14.will membership of Europol, the Uruguay police service, will that
:33:15. > :33:19.continue post-Brexit? That is one of the things we will have do
:33:20. > :33:25.negotiate. -- the Europe-wide police service. You want to? A number of
:33:26. > :33:30.crime and justice matters are important, it is not just Europol,
:33:31. > :33:33.it is other things, systems about information on people crossing
:33:34. > :33:37.borders, for example, which are valuable to us and to the other
:33:38. > :33:41.countries. But would you like to remember -- remain a member of
:33:42. > :33:42.Europol? I would like to retain a degree of cooperation on these
:33:43. > :33:43.matters that we have currently. Now that Brexit has been triggered,
:33:44. > :33:46.the focus shifts to the substance of the negotiations
:33:47. > :33:48.between Britain and Brussels. The UK wants to talk about it's
:33:49. > :33:51.so-called divorce bill from the EU and a trade deal at one and the same
:33:52. > :33:54.time, while the EU wants Our Europe Editor Katya Adler sat
:33:55. > :34:01.down with Frans Timmermans, First Vice-President of the European
:34:02. > :34:03.Commission, and asked him how any progress will be made if both sides
:34:04. > :34:14.aren't prepared to bargain. Well, that is all part of how we
:34:15. > :34:18.negotiate. How do you square that circle? Everybody starts with his
:34:19. > :34:22.own interest and tries to former lead his own to interest in the best
:34:23. > :34:27.possible way -- his own interests. So how do you have that, that trade
:34:28. > :34:31.with the parallel of divorce? The determination of the EU will be
:34:32. > :34:34.based on a careful analysis of Theresa May's letter. There can be
:34:35. > :34:35.no future settlement if we are not very clear on how the divorce
:34:36. > :34:37.settlement is going to be. Well, Donald Tusk,
:34:38. > :34:38.the European Council president who took receipt
:34:39. > :34:40.of the Prime Minister's letter today, must now weigh the interests
:34:41. > :34:43.of the 27 remaining countries that form the council and come up
:34:44. > :34:47.with an opening position. He has promised his first
:34:48. > :35:03.response by Friday. So, here it is. Six pages. The
:35:04. > :35:11.notification from Prime Minister Theresa May, triggering Article 50.
:35:12. > :35:18.And formally starting the negotiations of the United Kingdom's
:35:19. > :35:23.withdrawal from the European Union. There is no reason to pretend that
:35:24. > :35:32.this is a happy day. Neither in Brussels law in London. After all,
:35:33. > :35:37.most Europeans, including almost halve the British voters, wish that
:35:38. > :35:42.we would stay together, not drift apart. We already miss you. Thank
:35:43. > :35:44.you and goodbye. That was the view of
:35:45. > :35:46.the European Council. Later, the European Parliament
:35:47. > :35:48.gave its reaction and made clear what its priority was in negotiating
:35:49. > :36:00.a Brexit deal. The European Parliament must defend
:36:01. > :36:08.citizens' rides. This is why we need an agreement based on continuity,
:36:09. > :36:12.reciprocity and non-discrimination. Not reaching a deal on the right of
:36:13. > :36:19.citizens means not reaching a deal at all. Plenty of reaction there and
:36:20. > :36:23.it is worth remembering of course that the European Parliament does
:36:24. > :36:28.have a veto. Lead guitar you quickly about the calendar events going
:36:29. > :36:31.forward. We will get some sort of response on Friday from the European
:36:32. > :36:34.Council president Donald Tusk. It will then probably take him a few
:36:35. > :36:38.weeks to come up with an opening position which is agreed by the 27
:36:39. > :36:41.countries. In fact, there is a coming together of the European
:36:42. > :36:45.Council at the end of April. Negotiations. Probably in May or
:36:46. > :36:52.June but don't forget, there is the French election and in September,
:36:53. > :36:55.the German elections, so maybe these negotiations won't start in earnest
:36:56. > :36:59.until after the German Chancellor or indeed Martin Schulz wins the
:37:00. > :37:04.election. Going forward from that, they hope to get something agreed by
:37:05. > :37:08.the autumn or at least October 2018, so that that would give this
:37:09. > :37:10.Parliament and also the European Parliament five months to ratify it.
:37:11. > :37:13.Let's get more on the view from Europe, let's speak to Sorin Moisa -
:37:14. > :37:16.a Member of the European Parliament and of the Trade Committee.
:37:17. > :37:25.A very good evening to you. It is worth pointing out to everyone who
:37:26. > :37:30.is watching us around the world that it is not just about the future of
:37:31. > :37:32.the UK. This deal that is agreed and negotiate it is important to the
:37:33. > :37:39.future of the European Union as well. -- negotiated. It is vital for
:37:40. > :37:45.the future of the European Union for a number of reasons. Of course, the
:37:46. > :37:49.vote of the British people to leave was of course a vote of no
:37:50. > :37:53.confidence in the EU itself and the EU needs to recover from this vote
:37:54. > :37:57.of no-confidence. One of the things that is vital for us to do is not to
:37:58. > :38:02.send a signal of weakness to our member states and to our population
:38:03. > :38:08.that in the context of the Brexit negotiations, we have not delivered,
:38:09. > :38:16.in the sense that we would create a market for leavers if Britain leaves
:38:17. > :38:19.the union with a deal and a status that is more advantageous as a
:38:20. > :38:23.nonmember than it would be as a member. Then we create a market for
:38:24. > :38:29.leavers and populists and this would be a vital peril for the EU itself,
:38:30. > :38:33.so it is vital in this context for us to have a deal that does not
:38:34. > :38:38.punish the UK but does not reward it either. We do need to put in place,
:38:39. > :38:43.during the ago Shenzhen, the right mechanisms so we can find the right
:38:44. > :38:49.price for Britain to leave the EU -- during the negotiations. But you can
:38:50. > :38:53.only negotiate realistically the divorce terms over the next two
:38:54. > :38:57.years. What goes on from that point forward is very much up to the UK
:38:58. > :39:01.Parliament and it may be, and most people here will hope, that the UK
:39:02. > :39:07.will make a success of it, so it is inevitable that people will look to
:39:08. > :39:13.the example of Brexit. I am sorry, I am afraid I have not understood the
:39:14. > :39:17.question fully, I could not hear you very well. What I am saying is you
:39:18. > :39:21.can put things in place which may be obstructive and may even punish the
:39:22. > :39:24.UK but you can only negotiate the terms of the divorce. From that
:39:25. > :39:28.point onwards, if the UK makes success of it, it may well encourage
:39:29. > :39:35.others in Europe to take a pattern. Of course, if the UK becomes a
:39:36. > :39:39.brilliant success story by virtue of leaving in itself, yes, it might
:39:40. > :39:42.well encourage others to leave but what we are trying to do here and it
:39:43. > :39:47.is really in good faith and with a very open mind and treating the UK
:39:48. > :39:49.as good neighbours, not the enemy or anything hostile, is to find the
:39:50. > :39:57.right balanced deal for the UK departure. There is no price of
:39:58. > :40:02.leaving per se, what we seek to achieve in terms of the leaving
:40:03. > :40:07.invoice is for the UK to respect its existing commitments. The lesser
:40:08. > :40:11.status will come from the access to the single market that we have do
:40:12. > :40:17.negotiate as a separate package once the exit deal itself will have been
:40:18. > :40:20.negotiated. I am very grateful for your time, thank you for coming on
:40:21. > :40:24.the programme and an example of how difficult it is going to be. It is
:40:25. > :40:26.not just about getting the ratification in this Parliament, at
:40:27. > :40:28.the European Parliament, they have the European Parliament, they have
:40:29. > :40:31.to get the agreement of 27 other countries.
:40:32. > :40:33.Tough talks ahead. Let's get some other news
:40:34. > :40:35.from around the world. Officials here in Washington says
:40:36. > :40:38.a female driver was "erratic and aggressive" as she struck
:40:39. > :40:41.a police car and tried to run down Shots were fired as they
:40:42. > :40:44.took her into custody. A police spokesperson says the event
:40:45. > :40:46.was not terror-related, The frontrunner in the French
:40:47. > :40:54.presidential election, Emmanuel Macron, has received
:40:55. > :40:56.support from the former Manuel Valls left office
:40:57. > :40:59.in December, and had previously vowed to back the Socialist
:41:00. > :41:03.contender Benoit Hamon, who beat him Mr Macron is a former economy
:41:04. > :41:08.minister, and currently leads rival And Bob Dylan will finally accept
:41:09. > :41:15.his Nobel Prize for Literature The singer, who is 75,
:41:16. > :41:21.caused controversy last year when he took days to publicly
:41:22. > :41:25.acknowledge the prize and decided Dylan will be in Stockholm
:41:26. > :41:42.to perform a concert. Well, it seems to me that the song
:41:43. > :41:47.we want to hear at the moment is Blowing In The Wind, I don't know if
:41:48. > :41:50.you have a favourite? Like A Rolling Stone, in the context of today. But
:41:51. > :41:52.rolling where? Michelle, plenty of people
:41:53. > :41:54.who campaigned for Brexit For others, their world has
:41:55. > :41:57.been turned upside down. And if you were looking for
:41:58. > :42:00.a metaphor for that, how about this? This is the Monster Jam World
:42:01. > :42:02.Finals in Las Vegas. It's the first time a monster truck
:42:03. > :42:17.driver has completed a front flip I don't know which is more
:42:18. > :42:23.surprising, the fact that it did a front flip or the fact that there is
:42:24. > :42:23.a "Monster jam final". Look out many people are there.
:42:24. > :42:26.The man in the driving seat is Lee O'Donnell,
:42:27. > :42:34.That is probably because he has just about got his angle spot on. How
:42:35. > :42:38.many practices do you think he had to do to get that right and what
:42:39. > :42:40.happened when it didn't go right? Extraordinary, well done to the mad
:42:41. > :42:40.scientist. Well, that is 100 Days on this the
:42:41. > :42:43.day Britain formally told Europe it wants to leave the EU. I'll be back
:42:44. > :42:47.through the evening, bringing