Browse content similar to 29/03/2017. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
Line | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|
We're at Westminster, on the day the United Kingdom | :00:00. | :00:08. | |
started the process of leaving the European Union. | :00:09. | :00:12. | |
Britain's Ambassador in Brussels handed over Theresa May's | :00:13. | :00:14. | |
letter to the President of the European Council | :00:15. | :00:15. | |
The Prime Minister told MPs that there would be 'consequences' | :00:16. | :00:22. | |
in leaving the European Union, but she was aiming for a 'smooth | :00:23. | :00:24. | |
Britain is leaving the European Union. | :00:25. | :00:30. | |
We are going to make our own decisions and our own laws. | :00:31. | :00:33. | |
We are going to take control of the things | :00:34. | :00:36. | |
In Brussels, the EU's negotiating team declared itself ready | :00:37. | :00:41. | |
for the challenge ahead - amid promises of a united front. | :00:42. | :00:46. | |
Brexit has made us - the community of 27 - | :00:47. | :00:51. | |
more determined and more united than before. | :00:52. | :00:56. | |
We'll be in Dover, which voted strongly to leave the EU, | :00:57. | :00:59. | |
asking people for their thoughts on the start of the Brexit process. | :01:00. | :01:04. | |
You've got to carry on, it's started now, so it's | :01:05. | :01:07. | |
Well, it will take more than two years, more than five years, | :01:08. | :01:11. | |
because look how long that they talk about it. | :01:12. | :01:13. | |
We've just got to go in and show them that we do mean business. | :01:14. | :01:19. | |
And we'll be looking at the Prime Minister's hint | :01:20. | :01:21. | |
that cooperation on security is closely linked | :01:22. | :01:23. | |
Also tonight, a reminder of the security threat | :01:24. | :01:28. | |
A crowd converges on Westminster Bridge, to remember the victims | :01:29. | :01:32. | |
of the terror attack which took place here a week ago. | :01:33. | :01:41. | |
We'll have more reaction and opinion to today's historic events, | :01:42. | :01:43. | |
as the Prime Minister triggers Britain's exit from Europe. | :01:44. | :01:46. | |
We'll hear from politicians, business and members of the public. | :01:47. | :01:49. | |
The United Kingdom has formally served notice that it's | :01:50. | :02:14. | |
A letter signed by Theresa May was handed to the president of the | :02:15. | :02:27. | |
European Council today. The Prime Minister told MPs | :02:28. | :02:30. | |
she wanted a smooth and orderly Brexit, but she also hinted | :02:31. | :02:32. | |
of implications for security cooperation | :02:33. | :02:34. | |
if a deal was not reached. And in a potential | :02:35. | :02:36. | |
setback for Mrs May... The German chancellor Angela Merkel | :02:37. | :02:38. | |
has warned that the terms of Britain's divorce have to be | :02:39. | :02:40. | |
settled, before any talks Our political editor Laura | :02:41. | :02:46. | |
Kuenssberg reports on the day that Article 50 was triggered. | :02:47. | :02:49. | |
The minute in Westminster, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff | :02:50. | :02:52. | |
that the United Kingdom formally changed course. | :02:53. | :02:56. | |
The Article 50 process is now underway and in accordance | :02:57. | :03:00. | |
with the wishes of the British people, the United Kingdom | :03:01. | :03:03. | |
This is an historic moment from which there can | :03:04. | :03:09. | |
Probably our last ambassador inside the European Union handing | :03:10. | :03:16. | |
The document that says we are on our way out. | :03:17. | :03:24. | |
Theresa May's signature on our departure. | :03:25. | :03:27. | |
A country that goes out into the world to build | :03:28. | :03:35. | |
relationships with old friends and new allies alike. | :03:36. | :03:38. | |
And that is why I have set out a clear and ambitious plan | :03:39. | :03:41. | |
It is a plan for a new, deep and special partnership between | :03:42. | :03:46. | |
Her decisions about how, mean we are out of the single market | :03:47. | :03:55. | |
As European leaders have said many times, we cannot cherry pick | :03:56. | :04:00. | |
and remain members of the single market without accepting the four | :04:01. | :04:02. | |
A friendlier tone to the continent, an ambition to bring | :04:03. | :04:10. | |
And no cliff edge, no abrupt change for business. | :04:11. | :04:17. | |
But Mr Speaker, when I sit around the negotiating table in the months | :04:18. | :04:21. | |
ahead I will represent every person in the United Kingdom, | :04:22. | :04:23. | |
young and old, rich and poor, city, town, country and all the villages | :04:24. | :04:26. | |
And, yes, those EU nationals that have made this country their home. | :04:27. | :04:31. | |
And it is my fierce determination to get the right deal for every | :04:32. | :04:35. | |
In perhaps the most important letter that she'll ever pen, | :04:36. | :04:42. | |
the Prime Minister wrote of her hope to give reassurance quickly | :04:43. | :04:45. | |
to the millions of EU citizens who live here and Brits abroad. | :04:46. | :04:50. | |
"We should always put our citizens first, we should aim | :04:51. | :04:52. | |
to strike an early agreement about their rights." | :04:53. | :04:54. | |
The Prime Minister wants a free trade deal with the EU of greater | :04:55. | :04:58. | |
A bold hope, seen as naive by some, to try to protect firms who do | :04:59. | :05:09. | |
business around the continent from new rules and barriers. | :05:10. | :05:12. | |
No overt threat to walk away but a serious warning - | :05:13. | :05:14. | |
a failure to reach agreement would mean our co-operation | :05:15. | :05:16. | |
in the fight against crime and terrorism would be weakened. | :05:17. | :05:19. | |
We must work hard to avoid that outcome. | :05:20. | :05:22. | |
She wants also to agree the terms of our future partnership alongside | :05:23. | :05:29. | |
those of our withdrawal from the EU, to work out how we leave at the same | :05:30. | :05:33. | |
Labour aren't the only ones sceptical she can deliver. | :05:34. | :05:40. | |
If the Prime Minister can deliver a deal that meets our tests, | :05:41. | :05:44. | |
More than ever, Britain needs a government that will deliver | :05:45. | :05:51. | |
for the whole country, not just the few. | :05:52. | :05:53. | |
And that is the ultimate test of the Brexit deal | :05:54. | :05:55. | |
that the Prime Minister must now secure. | :05:56. | :05:57. | |
Memories of today will be so different. | :05:58. | :06:01. | |
Even though that's not actually the Foreign Secretary. | :06:02. | :06:09. | |
And celebrations after hours tonight. | :06:10. | :06:12. | |
That's the sense in the home of the EU. | :06:13. | :06:23. | |
There's no reason to pretend that this is a happy day, | :06:24. | :06:26. | |
Some powers coming back from Brussels will bypass this place | :06:27. | :06:33. | |
and flow to Holyrood, Cardiff and Stormont. | :06:34. | :06:38. | |
But for Remainers here and in the Scottish Government those | :06:39. | :06:40. | |
The Prime Minister still can't answer basic questions | :06:41. | :06:44. | |
about what Brexit will mean for businesses, the economy | :06:45. | :06:46. | |
generally and for the type of society we live in. | :06:47. | :06:51. | |
This six simple pages will do much to determine our place | :06:52. | :06:54. | |
The letter is less abrasive in tone to the rest of the EU | :06:55. | :07:01. | |
than when Theresa May started as Prime Minister, when she still | :07:02. | :07:04. | |
had to persuade her party she really was committed to leaving. | :07:05. | :07:08. | |
Now the clamour of the referendum is gone, the tone is | :07:09. | :07:10. | |
The message of the letter, "Get real. | :07:11. | :07:14. | |
Remember, we bring a lot to the table when it comes to policing, | :07:15. | :07:24. | |
It wasn't firing a shot but she was just making a reminder, | :07:25. | :07:29. | |
I think it is exciting but I don't underestimate the scale | :07:30. | :07:35. | |
of the task that lies ahead in the next two years. | :07:36. | :07:37. | |
What has happened today is the biggest stimulation | :07:38. | :07:39. | |
of British power and sovereignty in my lifetime. | :07:40. | :07:43. | |
A letter which is really about kicking off a trade | :07:44. | :07:46. | |
negotiation had six mentions of trade and 11 | :07:47. | :07:47. | |
It struck me as a reckless series of threats. | :07:48. | :07:53. | |
Not that he ever needs a reason to be pictured with a pint, | :07:54. | :07:56. | |
Today, for me, after 25 years of campaigning, | :07:57. | :08:03. | |
the impossible dream came true, I'm very pleased. | :08:04. | :08:06. | |
What matters now is that we make sure we have a successful | :08:07. | :08:15. | |
negotiation and we try to maintain a close relationship between Britain | :08:16. | :08:18. | |
In a rare interview inside Number Ten For The Bbc, | :08:19. | :08:21. | |
the Prime Minister promised, despite all the difficulties, | :08:22. | :08:23. | |
our relationship with the rest of the continent will be | :08:24. | :08:26. | |
What we are both looking for is that comprehensive free trade agreement | :08:27. | :08:33. | |
which gives that ability to trade freely into the European | :08:34. | :08:35. | |
single market and for them to trade with us. | :08:36. | :08:39. | |
It will be a different relationship but I think it can have the same | :08:40. | :08:42. | |
benefits in terms of that free access to trade. | :08:43. | :08:44. | |
An assertion that will take a lot to prove. | :08:45. | :08:48. | |
One her counterparts in Europe struggle to believe. | :08:49. | :08:50. | |
Number Ten's time for preparation is up, now time to try to persuade. | :08:51. | :08:53. | |
Laura Kuenssberg, BBC News, Westminster. | :08:54. | :09:02. | |
Chancellor Merkel of Germany warned today that sorting | :09:03. | :09:04. | |
out Britain's future trade deal with the EU would only be possible | :09:05. | :09:07. | |
once the terms of Britain's departure had been settled. | :09:08. | :09:09. | |
The President of the European Council - Donald Tusk - | :09:10. | :09:11. | |
said the remaining member states would pull together | :09:12. | :09:17. | |
And he confirmed he would set out his planned negotiating | :09:18. | :09:20. | |
guidelines on Friday, ahead of a special | :09:21. | :09:22. | |
With her assessment of the view at the heart of the European Union, | :09:23. | :09:26. | |
here's our Europe editor Katya Adler. | :09:27. | :09:29. | |
The man with the burning letter in his briefcase. | :09:30. | :09:32. | |
Sir Tim Barrow arrived without much fanfare at the | :09:33. | :09:38. | |
European Council building this morning. | :09:39. | :09:42. | |
But this isn't just an historic day for the UK. | :09:43. | :09:46. | |
For the EU, it is a momentous, never to be | :09:47. | :09:49. | |
Visibly unhappy, this was the recipient of | :09:50. | :09:54. | |
Britain's letter starting the Brexit process. | :09:55. | :09:58. | |
Donald Tusk, the man who represent all EU member | :09:59. | :10:05. | |
There is nothing to win in this process, and I'm talking about | :10:06. | :10:12. | |
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was | :10:13. | :10:21. | |
But beneath that sadness, palpable resentment among | :10:22. | :10:33. | |
some EU leaders today that Theresa May appeared in her letter | :10:34. | :10:36. | |
to link the likelihood of a good trade deal, | :10:37. | :10:40. | |
so hoped for by Britain, with continued cooperation on security, | :10:41. | :10:44. | |
I think that irrespective of what an agreement | :10:45. | :10:54. | |
can be, what sort of agreement you can do on trade at the end | :10:55. | :10:58. | |
of the day, we remain part of the same family | :10:59. | :11:00. | |
and we should remain committed to fighting terrorism. | :11:01. | :11:04. | |
Well, the European Commission is the lead negotiator | :11:05. | :11:09. | |
Frans Timmermans is the commission's vice president. | :11:10. | :11:16. | |
But how can negotiations even start, I wondered, | :11:17. | :11:18. | |
The UK wants divorce talks and talks of | :11:19. | :11:22. | |
The commission says non - divorce comes first. | :11:23. | :11:28. | |
That is all part of how we negotiate. | :11:29. | :11:30. | |
Everybody starts with his own interest and tries to | :11:31. | :11:35. | |
formulate his own interest in the best possible way. | :11:36. | :11:37. | |
So what's the problem in having parallel talks, talking about | :11:38. | :11:41. | |
trade at the same time as divorce, for example? | :11:42. | :11:43. | |
The position of the EU will be determined on the basis of | :11:44. | :11:46. | |
careful analysis of Theresa May's letter. | :11:47. | :11:52. | |
There can be no future settlement if we are not clear on | :11:53. | :11:55. | |
how the divorce settlement is going to be. | :11:56. | :11:58. | |
To make two years of complex negotiations even thornier, the UK | :11:59. | :12:04. | |
isn't talking just to the European Commission. | :12:05. | :12:06. | |
The real power behind the throne lies in the EU capitals, | :12:07. | :12:09. | |
They will take any big political decisions for the EU when it comes | :12:10. | :12:20. | |
They don't and won't always agree with one another. | :12:21. | :12:23. | |
And the Article 50 time frame is very, very tight. | :12:24. | :12:27. | |
Divisions there may be, but when it comes to the loaded issue of | :12:28. | :12:31. | |
parallel trade and divorce talks, Europe's most powerful leader agrees | :12:32. | :12:33. | |
with the European Commission. Much to demonstrate's dismay. | :12:34. | :12:41. | |
TRANSLATION: In the negotiations we first have to sort out how we can | :12:42. | :12:45. | |
Only when that has been settled, hopefully soon after, we can speak | :12:46. | :12:50. | |
Chancellor Merkel also stressed the importance of deciding the fate | :12:51. | :12:59. | |
of EU citizens living in the UK, and British citizens | :13:00. | :13:03. | |
Thankful for one issue at least to unite around. | :13:04. | :13:08. | |
Let's assess the significance of today and what lies ahead. | :13:09. | :13:18. | |
In a moment we'll speak to our Europe editor | :13:19. | :13:21. | |
Katya Adler in Brussels, but first our political editor | :13:22. | :13:23. | |
What have we learned today about what the next two years are going to | :13:24. | :13:30. | |
bring? I think the tone of Theresa May's letter which was, we love you, | :13:31. | :13:35. | |
but we're very sorry we're leaving, tells us she is worried enough about | :13:36. | :13:38. | |
the resistance she will face, she knows she has to butter them up. She | :13:39. | :13:43. | |
had to set out a more conservatory tone that show she's aware this is | :13:44. | :13:47. | |
going to be very difficult and also plenty of hints in their shoes where | :13:48. | :13:50. | |
there will have to be give and take, compromise. That's not what he's | :13:51. | :13:55. | |
been the tone in the days and months since the referendum. It is also | :13:56. | :13:58. | |
very clear she's not just going to play nice. The fact Theresa May gave | :13:59. | :14:02. | |
the issue of security such prominence in the letter to other EU | :14:03. | :14:07. | |
leaders today was notable. She's made this point before, privately to | :14:08. | :14:10. | |
EU leaders and publicly as well, but the way in which it was given | :14:11. | :14:41. | |
such prominence in the letter has certainly been controversial, has | :14:42. | :14:43. | |
raised eyebrows somewhere. One Cabinet minister said to me, these | :14:44. | :14:45. | |
are our cards, these are our strengths and we shouldn't be | :14:46. | :14:47. | |
surprised the Prime Minister is, in what will be a tough negotiation, | :14:48. | :14:49. | |
willing to flex that particular muscle. We've also seen today and | :14:50. | :14:52. | |
early glimpse of the kind of resistance she knows she's going to | :14:53. | :14:54. | |
face. W e will talk later, thank stakes as we know are very high for | :14:55. | :14:57. | |
the UK but this is not without straight to Brussels. The stakes as | :14:58. | :15:00. | |
we know are very high for the UK but this is not without risk for from. | :15:01. | :15:03. | |
Absolutely. You saw the grim face of Donald Tusk, the president of the | :15:04. | :15:06. | |
European Council as he received that letter from his heavy heart, the | :15:07. | :15:09. | |
fact this is such a huge moment for the EU, that was playing for | :15:10. | :15:13. | |
everybody to beginning, there are no upside for the while in the UK there | :15:14. | :15:17. | |
are many who see Brexit as a cause of celebration, a chance for a new | :15:18. | :15:20. | |
beginning, there are no upsides for the it is losing an influential | :15:21. | :15:23. | |
member with a powerful economy, one of the to the EU budget and one two | :15:24. | :15:31. | |
military mites in do so what will it is the big concern for the EU. While | :15:32. | :15:36. | |
EU leaders defiantly say now through Brexit they will unite even closer, | :15:37. | :15:41. | |
the fact is this is an already weakened EU whose members fall out | :15:42. | :15:45. | |
over funding, over migration and, without Britain? That is the big | :15:46. | :15:48. | |
concern for the EU. While EU leaders defiantly say now through Brexit | :15:49. | :15:50. | |
they will unite even closer, the fact is this is an already weakened | :15:51. | :15:52. | |
EU whose members fall out over funding, over migration the euro. So | :15:53. | :15:56. | |
how can they stay united over something as complicated as Brexit | :15:57. | :16:01. | |
when each country has its own more likely to want to Poland for example | :16:02. | :16:05. | |
will want to safeguard the rights of its citizens who live in the UK, so | :16:06. | :16:09. | |
it may be more likely to want to appease Germany is putting politics | :16:10. | :16:11. | |
ensure the integrity of the European Union and single market. It wants to | :16:12. | :16:13. | |
ensure the integrity of the European Union and single has the upper there | :16:14. | :16:20. | |
is one ray of sunshine for the EU. It believes it has the upper hand | :16:21. | :16:24. | |
because unlike the UK it is not under such time pressure to get a | :16:25. | :16:25. | |
deal done. The Brexit clock started ticking | :16:26. | :16:29. | |
from the moment the letter was delivered to Brussels today, | :16:30. | :16:33. | |
and the parties will have two years to conclude negotiations | :16:34. | :16:35. | |
on Britain's exit. On Friday, the European Council | :16:36. | :16:37. | |
will set out its proposals A month later - | :16:38. | :16:40. | |
at a special EU summit - the other 27 member states | :16:41. | :16:45. | |
will debate and then be asked The talking will then start, | :16:46. | :16:48. | |
but big decisions may have to wait till after the French and German | :16:49. | :16:55. | |
elections held in May and September. The negotiations should finish | :16:56. | :16:58. | |
by October next year, when the UK and EU parliaments | :16:59. | :17:03. | |
would both vote on the final deal. That's the plan, but the path ahead | :17:04. | :17:07. | |
is uncertain and there Our diplomatic correspondent | :17:08. | :17:10. | |
James Robbins has been looking at the challenges ahead, | :17:11. | :17:15. | |
as the negotiations get underway. The Europe which Britain married | :17:16. | :17:20. | |
into over 40 years ago looked Just nine states in a predominantly | :17:21. | :17:22. | |
economic community. Steadily membership grew, | :17:23. | :17:29. | |
the ties that bind reached further The project became more political, | :17:30. | :17:31. | |
the union ever deeper, until British voters | :17:32. | :17:36. | |
opted for divorce. But that very complexity | :17:37. | :17:40. | |
makes cutting the ties and agreeing the divorce | :17:41. | :17:43. | |
terms funamentally difficult. The divorce rule, the famous | :17:44. | :17:47. | |
Article 50, was written by veteran diplomat Lord Kerr, | :17:48. | :17:50. | |
so I asked him to describe the scale This is the biggest event | :17:51. | :17:53. | |
in our post-war history. If you're building a transition | :17:54. | :18:00. | |
you need to know where If you're building a bridge, | :18:01. | :18:03. | |
where is it going to So we have to be clear | :18:04. | :18:07. | |
about what kind of country When the Brexit negotiations | :18:08. | :18:11. | |
eventually begin, around the table the key players will be led | :18:12. | :18:15. | |
on the British side by David Davies, the Cabinet minister in charge | :18:16. | :18:19. | |
of exiting the European Union. He will try to ensure the bargaining | :18:20. | :18:23. | |
settles both the divorce and the new framework for future | :18:24. | :18:25. | |
relations with the EU. Facing him on the EU side, | :18:26. | :18:30. | |
Michel Barnier, former French Foreign Minister, | :18:31. | :18:33. | |
with his team representing the Commission and the remaining | :18:34. | :18:35. | |
27 member states. Time is already very | :18:36. | :18:39. | |
short to agree so much. Some think the crunch will come | :18:40. | :18:41. | |
in autumn next year. They have a vast agenda | :18:42. | :18:45. | |
to work through. Here are just a handful | :18:46. | :18:47. | |
of the issues. The rights of EU citizens living | :18:48. | :18:50. | |
in the UK and of British nationals The UK's future access, if any, | :18:51. | :18:53. | |
to the single market, with the UK controlling its own | :18:54. | :18:58. | |
borders and immigration. And then the big question | :18:59. | :19:03. | |
of the divorce bill. Some say the UK may be required | :19:04. | :19:06. | |
to pay over ?50 billion. Britain's longest serving official | :19:07. | :19:11. | |
inside the European Commission, Jonathan Faull, says a bargain | :19:12. | :19:14. | |
will have to be struck. The UK can't duck | :19:15. | :19:18. | |
its responsibilities. The fundamental principle | :19:19. | :19:21. | |
is a very simple one. It is that the EU, with the UK | :19:22. | :19:23. | |
in it, has made financial And some of those commitments | :19:24. | :19:26. | |
stretch well into the future. Investment projects, | :19:27. | :19:34. | |
infrastructure projects and so on. Arguably the most important issue | :19:35. | :19:40. | |
to be resolved will be Britain's post-Brexit trade with the EU, | :19:41. | :19:43. | |
and not just in goods. Securing the City of London | :19:44. | :19:49. | |
and Britain's enormous trade in financial services | :19:50. | :19:51. | |
could be even harder. All this worries some, | :19:52. | :19:55. | |
but not leading pro-Leavers. Now, of course, as we go | :19:56. | :19:58. | |
into the negotiations, both sides will try and pretend | :19:59. | :20:01. | |
they're in the strongest position, but the Government's got some | :20:02. | :20:03. | |
key cards in its hands. Not least the fact we've got a huge | :20:04. | :20:06. | |
trade deficit with the EU. So I think the Government will be | :20:07. | :20:09. | |
able to leave the single market, leave the customs union and get | :20:10. | :20:12. | |
the free trade deal they want. That's just one confident | :20:13. | :20:17. | |
assertion about to be tested In the negotiations, | :20:18. | :20:19. | |
cutting many UK/EU ties while trying to hang onto others | :20:20. | :20:25. | |
will be difficult. Both Britain and the EU | :20:26. | :20:29. | |
say they want to remain But the process | :20:30. | :20:31. | |
could get very rough. Today's process has major | :20:32. | :20:35. | |
implications for every part of the United Kingdom, | :20:36. | :20:42. | |
and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland | :20:43. | :20:44. | |
there are specific circumstances In a moment we'll hear from our | :20:45. | :20:46. | |
Ireland correspondent Chris Buckler at Stormont and Sian Lloyd | :20:47. | :20:53. | |
at the National Assembly in Cardiff, but first let's hear | :20:54. | :20:56. | |
from our Scotland editor In Edinburgh, First Minister Nicola | :20:57. | :21:10. | |
Sturgeon is writing a letter of her own, one that will be addressed to | :21:11. | :21:14. | |
Theresa May making a formal request for a referendum on Scottish | :21:15. | :21:18. | |
independence. She knows what the answer will be, Theresa May will | :21:19. | :21:21. | |
tell her that can be no discussions about another referendum until after | :21:22. | :21:25. | |
the Brexit deal is done and Scottish voters have had a chance to see the | :21:26. | :21:30. | |
consequences of that. Nicola Sturgeon said today that she wishes | :21:31. | :21:34. | |
Theresa May success with the becoming a negotiations because she | :21:35. | :21:40. | |
says a good deal for the UK is in Scotland's interests, but she did | :21:41. | :21:48. | |
not sound optimistic when she said the Prime Minister was taking a leap | :21:49. | :21:51. | |
in the dark. The Scottish Government have not been terribly impressed by | :21:52. | :21:53. | |
the promise from Westminster that there will be significantly | :21:54. | :21:55. | |
increased powers for the Scottish parliament because they say they | :21:56. | :21:57. | |
have had no detail or commitment on which powers will be returned to | :21:58. | :22:03. | |
Holyrood after Brexit, so that is one more major political arguments | :22:04. | :22:08. | |
yet to come. There was a protest at Stormont | :22:09. | :22:11. | |
involving people living in the towns and villages close to the Irish | :22:12. | :22:15. | |
border. They put in place customs checkpoint at the entry to this | :22:16. | :22:19. | |
state. They wanted to raise concerns there could be a physical presence | :22:20. | :22:23. | |
at that invisible dividing line wants it becomes the UK's only land | :22:24. | :22:28. | |
border EU country. At the moment people trouble between Northern | :22:29. | :22:33. | |
Ireland and the republic for work, to trade and to access services like | :22:34. | :22:37. | |
health care. Both governments have said they are committed to keeping | :22:38. | :22:40. | |
the roads open and the European Parliament said they were not | :22:41. | :22:43. | |
prepared to tolerate a hard border on this island and would do nothing | :22:44. | :22:48. | |
but jeopardise the peace process, something Theresa May referred to in | :22:49. | :22:53. | |
her letter today. But Brexit is divisive at Stormont. The | :22:54. | :22:57. | |
power-sharing Government has collapsed. Brexit was not | :22:58. | :23:02. | |
responsible for that but it can fuel political divisions. Certainly Irish | :23:03. | :23:07. | |
republicans have listened to what Sarah talked about, the push for an | :23:08. | :23:10. | |
independence referendum in Scotland. They point out that Northern Ireland | :23:11. | :23:14. | |
voted to stay in the EU and Sinn Fein is calling for a border poll, a | :23:15. | :23:21. | |
referendum on Irish unity. Speaking inside the Senedd this | :23:22. | :23:25. | |
afternoon, the tone of the response from the Welsh First Minister Carwyn | :23:26. | :23:29. | |
Jones was really one of frustration. He said it was deeply regrettable | :23:30. | :23:33. | |
that the Welsh Government was not able to contribute to the Article 50 | :23:34. | :23:38. | |
letter and also, he said, that the devolved administrations had been | :23:39. | :23:42. | |
sidelined and shown a lack of respect. He said that he had already | :23:43. | :23:47. | |
voiced his concerns over the future of subsidies at the moment, some of | :23:48. | :23:53. | |
Wales' poorest communities share in ?2 billion of aid. The leader of the | :23:54. | :23:58. | |
Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies has accused him of scaremongering | :23:59. | :24:02. | |
over that. Theresa May said that the specific interests of the nations | :24:03. | :24:04. | |
will be taken into account. Our Wales correspondent | :24:05. | :24:07. | |
Sian Lloyd there, and our Ireland Correspondent Chris Buckler | :24:08. | :24:09. | |
at Stormont and Scotland Editor The referendum that led | :24:10. | :24:11. | |
to the sending of today's letter and the start of the Brexit process | :24:12. | :24:16. | |
was one of biggest democratic 33.5 million people took part, | :24:17. | :24:19. | |
revealing a nation deeply divided on the future of Britain's | :24:20. | :24:24. | |
relationship with Our home editor Mark Easton | :24:25. | :24:26. | |
is in Dover tonight, I am on top of the white Cliffs of | :24:27. | :24:47. | |
Dover. You might even be able to see the lights of France Tink Daesh | :24:48. | :24:53. | |
twinkling in the different 's... Distance. -- you might even be able | :24:54. | :24:58. | |
to see the lights of France twinkling in the distance. | :24:59. | :24:59. | |
Huw, this is an event that prompts very different emotions in people. | :25:00. | :25:02. | |
With the help of Britain Thinks, experts in public opinion, | :25:03. | :25:04. | |
we have tried to understand how the UK feels on this historic day - | :25:05. | :25:08. | |
The ancient town of Dover reminds us of our closeness to mainland Europe, | :25:09. | :25:12. | |
In the Town Hall, festooned with relics of Britain's complex | :25:13. | :25:15. | |
relationship with the lands across the Channel, we have | :25:16. | :25:17. | |
What's your emotion right now with Article 50? | :25:18. | :25:24. | |
Yes, we're doing a step forward, you know? | :25:25. | :25:28. | |
We're not going to be told what we can and can't do. | :25:29. | :25:31. | |
We've been waiting for this for a long time, and it's like we're | :25:32. | :25:34. | |
You're an EU citizen, so how do you feel about it all? | :25:35. | :25:41. | |
As a European, are we going to be secure enough to stay in this | :25:42. | :25:44. | |
It's up to Europe what they agree to. | :25:45. | :25:54. | |
We briefed our Article 50 jury on what the negotiations | :25:55. | :26:02. | |
What I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market. | :26:03. | :26:10. | |
How does our panel view the balance between controlling immigration | :26:11. | :26:12. | |
We do need to take back control of our borders. | :26:13. | :26:18. | |
Losing our single trade deal as part of it, it has to happen. | :26:19. | :26:23. | |
We have the rest of the world to negotiate individually | :26:24. | :26:26. | |
What about the trade stuff, are you worried that, economically, | :26:27. | :26:32. | |
I think in the beginning we may well take a nosedive. | :26:33. | :26:38. | |
But it's something we will recover from. | :26:39. | :26:42. | |
If we take a nosedive, who actually suffers? | :26:43. | :26:45. | |
When you actually look back in history, we've always managed. | :26:46. | :26:53. | |
So a bit of pain, if it gains, is worth it? | :26:54. | :26:55. | |
We are going to be, the country is going to stagnate economically. | :26:56. | :27:10. | |
I don't think it will ever come out to be Billy-no-mates because this | :27:11. | :27:17. | |
country is too well loved all over the world. | :27:18. | :27:19. | |
The Article 50 talks need to disentangle | :27:20. | :27:25. | |
the UK from EU systems, structures and institutions. | :27:26. | :27:29. | |
So which is more important - retaining a close relationship | :27:30. | :27:31. | |
with Europe, and rights and privileges, or | :27:32. | :27:34. | |
I just hope that this Brexit thing does not affect many | :27:35. | :27:39. | |
So you're worried we somehow create division when we disentangle | :27:40. | :27:45. | |
My son is 24 and it terrifies me, he and his generation might be | :27:46. | :27:55. | |
in a situation that we end up in a war. | :27:56. | :28:02. | |
I think it's up to us as people that voted out, | :28:03. | :28:09. | |
That everything is going to be all right. | :28:10. | :28:13. | |
Let's imagine we get to the two-year point, | :28:14. | :28:15. | |
John, what do you think should happen? | :28:16. | :28:18. | |
Put our arms out to the rest of the world. | :28:19. | :28:28. | |
I think a lot of people would walk away. | :28:29. | :28:31. | |
It's started now, so there's no good turning back. | :28:32. | :28:38. | |
It will take more than two years, more than five years. | :28:39. | :28:41. | |
We have just got to go in and show them that we do mean business. | :28:42. | :28:46. | |
I think we should have a more diplomatic style. | :28:47. | :28:59. | |
So how does our jury feel about triggering Article 50? | :29:00. | :29:02. | |
Happy, unhappy, or worried and confused. | :29:03. | :29:08. | |
Four happy, three worried, one unhappy. | :29:09. | :29:13. | |
Our jury - and, indeed, Britain - is deeply divided on its reaction | :29:14. | :29:17. | |
to the triggering of Article 50 and similar arguments will be | :29:18. | :29:19. | |
played out in the months of detailed talks ahead. | :29:20. | :29:32. | |
I think British public opinion broadly divided into three. A third | :29:33. | :29:39. | |
of people are really excited and happy about leaving be you, another | :29:40. | :29:42. | |
third, however they voted, want to get on with it, for the Government | :29:43. | :29:46. | |
to get the best deal they can. I think roughly a third of people in | :29:47. | :29:50. | |
Britain think we have made a catastrophic mistake. | :29:51. | :29:52. | |
The port here in Dover handles 17% of the UK's goods trade. | :29:53. | :29:55. | |
Our Business Editor Simon Jack has been looking | :29:56. | :29:59. | |
In two years' time this will be UK's most important | :30:00. | :30:04. | |
17% of all goods traded with and the UK roll | :30:05. | :30:08. | |
on and off through Dover, with no customs checks. | :30:09. | :30:13. | |
Even now, the port often backs up, leading | :30:14. | :30:15. | |
to seems like this - Operation Stack. | :30:16. | :30:16. | |
The man who keeps Dover running says extra border checks | :30:17. | :30:21. | |
We had strike action in France, and migrant activity that impacted | :30:22. | :30:29. | |
both the ferry terminal and Eurotunnel in 2015. | :30:30. | :30:32. | |
That saw Operation Stack in place for an unprecedented 30 plus days. | :30:33. | :30:35. | |
We will see that every day of the year in perpetuity, | :30:36. | :30:37. | |
if we don't get this situation sorted. | :30:38. | :30:44. | |
And getting it sorted will not be straightforward. | :30:45. | :30:51. | |
We've got less than two years to get a system in place. | :30:52. | :30:54. | |
We're looking at an additional 300 million checks on trucks. | :30:55. | :30:58. | |
We haven't done this for over 20 years, so of course | :30:59. | :31:01. | |
there is a lack of expertise, as well as what we've | :31:02. | :31:03. | |
We've got a lot to do in a short space of time. | :31:04. | :31:08. | |
Britain's journey out of the EU is finally underway, | :31:09. | :31:10. | |
but for business, navigating the route is still very difficult. | :31:11. | :31:12. | |
Nearly a fifth of all goods trade in the UK come | :31:13. | :31:18. | |
There are now two years to try and figure out how to keep | :31:19. | :31:23. | |
all of that moving outside the Customs Union. | :31:24. | :31:25. | |
The problem is, the new rules won't be known for months. | :31:26. | :31:28. | |
Questions like what computer upgrades do we need, | :31:29. | :31:31. | |
how many extra personnel, where are the lorries going to park? | :31:32. | :31:34. | |
All of those questions remain unclear. | :31:35. | :31:35. | |
Like so many issues concerning Brexit, | :31:36. | :31:37. | |
although the clock is ticking, the detailed work can't yet start. | :31:38. | :31:39. | |
This level of messy detail shouldn't distract from the great | :31:40. | :31:42. | |
opportunities that await the UK, according to Sir James Dyson. | :31:43. | :31:44. | |
I'm enormously optimistic because I think that looking | :31:45. | :31:46. | |
outwards to the rest of the world is very, very important, | :31:47. | :31:49. | |
I think it's making us much more global in outlook, and we'll come | :31:50. | :31:57. | |
It's in our best interests and Europe's best interests to come | :31:58. | :32:05. | |
He's putting his money where his mouth is, investing | :32:06. | :32:09. | |
?2.5 billion on renovating this 500 acre airfield to house thousands | :32:10. | :32:18. | |
Business and government have precisely two years | :32:19. | :32:20. | |
Two years doesn't sound long enough to sort out | :32:21. | :32:24. | |
I think my facial expression probably gives it away. | :32:25. | :32:32. | |
IT systems take a long time to deliver, certainly will need some | :32:33. | :32:36. | |
form of transitional arrangement to make this work. | :32:37. | :32:38. | |
Today's letter allows for that and it showed a new reluctance | :32:39. | :32:41. | |
to walk away from negotiations than previous government statements. | :32:42. | :32:43. | |
A smooth exit, it seems, is more important than a quick one. | :32:44. | :32:46. | |
If anything, I would say British attitudes are becoming more | :32:47. | :33:01. | |
entrenched. Remain ups are becoming more optimistic. Once we begin to | :33:02. | :33:05. | |
see what the deal looks like and how that might affect people's real | :33:06. | :33:09. | |
lives, then of course public opinion may shift again. From the white | :33:10. | :33:14. | |
Cliffs of Dover, back to you in Westminster. | :33:15. | :33:16. | |
Thank you very much, Mark Easton, in Dover. | :33:17. | :33:18. | |
The likely economic impact of Brexit was one of the key areas of debate | :33:19. | :33:21. | |
And today the Prime Minister, in her Article 50 letter, | :33:22. | :33:24. | |
set out her hopes for effective economic cooperation. | :33:25. | :33:27. | |
She talked of a deep and special partnership. | :33:28. | :33:29. | |
Our economics editor Kamal Ahmed is with me. | :33:30. | :33:35. | |
Let's pick up on the thoughts about a more conciliatory note today. How | :33:36. | :33:42. | |
does that translate into this whole trade and economic area? Often this | :33:43. | :33:46. | |
whole debate, I think, is sort of fashion does a rather titanic | :33:47. | :33:49. | |
struggle between the politics of Brexit, that's about less | :33:50. | :33:53. | |
immigration, about taking back control, about sovereignty, and what | :33:54. | :33:57. | |
might be described as the economic sub Brexit. How does Britain obtain | :33:58. | :34:02. | |
the best deal with the rest of the European Union? I think today, as | :34:03. | :34:04. | |
you suggest, the economics won out, at least slightly. Theresa May | :34:05. | :34:25. | |
talked about prosperity, not just for Britain but the European Union. | :34:26. | :34:27. | |
She talked about that implementation phase, that we wouldn't be crashing | :34:28. | :34:30. | |
out of the European Union. There would be no cliff edge. A little | :34:31. | :34:33. | |
talk today about no deal being better than a bad deal. Who was that | :34:34. | :34:35. | |
sitting next to Theresa May during her statement to Parliament? Philip | :34:36. | :34:37. | |
Hammond, the Chancellor, the man charged with piloting the UK economy | :34:38. | :34:40. | |
through these tough next few years. But I think to reason knows and | :34:41. | :34:42. | |
Philip Hammond knows there are a lot of challenges today. Ford and BMW | :34:43. | :34:49. | |
both warned for the needs that tariff free access to the European | :34:50. | :34:54. | |
Union. BMW said they wanted to see free labour movement across borders. | :34:55. | :34:58. | |
Then there's the public. I think he Theresa May does have a challenge. | :34:59. | :35:02. | |
Brexit and the economy have led to the top of the list of issues that | :35:03. | :35:08. | |
the public are most concerned about. If Theresa May doesn't get a good | :35:09. | :35:12. | |
deal with the European Union, if there is economic damage, that's not | :35:13. | :35:17. | |
just in economic risk to number ten, it's also a pretty major political | :35:18. | :35:23. | |
one. Thank you. Our economics editor with his thoughts tonight at | :35:24. | :35:24. | |
Westminster. You'll find much more | :35:25. | :35:26. | |
analysis from Kamal and our team of specialists | :35:27. | :35:28. | |
on what the Brexit process You can also find the full BBC | :35:29. | :35:30. | |
interview with the Prime Minister. bbc.co.uk/news is | :35:31. | :35:37. | |
the address you need. Go to the front page and the links | :35:38. | :35:43. | |
are all there for you. Commemorations have been held | :35:44. | :35:49. | |
here at Westminster today and at New Scotland Yard | :35:50. | :35:52. | |
for the victims of last Wednesday's attack, | :35:53. | :35:54. | |
when Khalid Massod drove into pedestrians, killing three | :35:55. | :35:59. | |
people, before stabbing a police office to death outside | :36:00. | :36:01. | |
the Houses of Parliament. Our correspondent | :36:02. | :36:03. | |
Daniela Relph reports. They walked onto Westminster | :36:04. | :36:05. | |
Bridge, a calm, quiet show of strength, where last | :36:06. | :36:08. | |
week there was chaos. They were here to | :36:09. | :36:12. | |
remember those who had Leslie Rhodes, | :36:13. | :36:14. | |
a 75-year-old Londoner. Tonight her family described | :36:15. | :36:24. | |
as the coolest of mummies, And Kurt Cochran from | :36:25. | :36:29. | |
America, the first As he was hit, he was | :36:30. | :36:35. | |
thrown from the bridge. Today his family visited | :36:36. | :36:44. | |
the place where he fell. For they had wanted | :36:45. | :36:49. | |
to come here, and to At exactly 2:40pm, the moment | :36:50. | :36:52. | |
the attack began a week ago, the family joined others whose | :36:53. | :36:57. | |
lives had changed forever last They included Andrei Burnaz | :36:58. | :37:00. | |
from Romania, who suffered His girlfriend, | :37:01. | :37:04. | |
Andreea Cristea, plunged into the River Thames | :37:05. | :37:17. | |
when she was hit by the car. She remains in hospital, | :37:18. | :37:23. | |
in a critical but stable condition. Walking with the families, | :37:24. | :37:25. | |
a group of schoolgirls Faith groups speaking | :37:26. | :37:28. | |
out against terrorism. Looking on, medical staff | :37:29. | :37:35. | |
from St Thomas' Hospital, many of whom had rushed to | :37:36. | :37:43. | |
the scene last week. All here to stop in | :37:44. | :37:45. | |
silence and solidarity. The memories will have been | :37:46. | :37:59. | |
particularly raw for the Metropolitan Police officers, | :38:00. | :38:02. | |
who had lost one of their own. PC Keith Palmer was | :38:03. | :38:05. | |
killed in the grounds of Parliament, despite desperate | :38:06. | :38:10. | |
efforts to save him. At New Scotland Yard | :38:11. | :38:12. | |
they reflected on his sacrifice This afternoon is | :38:13. | :38:16. | |
about remembering the Our thoughts, our prayers go out | :38:17. | :38:20. | |
to everyone who was affected by the It was a moment of calm | :38:21. | :38:29. | |
after the chaos of exactly a It was also a united | :38:30. | :38:33. | |
front against the horror Today, inquests opened into | :38:34. | :38:39. | |
the deaths of four of those killed. This afternoon though | :38:40. | :38:46. | |
was about an act of remembrance, a chance for London | :38:47. | :38:48. | |
is to stand together. Daniella Relph, BBC News, | :38:49. | :38:50. | |
Westminster Bridge. Let's take a brief look | :38:51. | :38:57. | |
at some of the day's A man and a woman have been arrested | :38:58. | :39:00. | |
in Birmingham this afternoon Six properties have | :39:01. | :39:04. | |
also been searched. Police are not linking today's | :39:05. | :39:08. | |
arrests to last week's EU competition regulators | :39:09. | :39:10. | |
have blocked the merger of the London Stock Exchange | :39:11. | :39:15. | |
with the owner of the Frankfurt They say the deal would have given | :39:16. | :39:18. | |
the new business too much market power and would have created | :39:19. | :39:25. | |
a virtual monopoly. An American man who was paralysed | :39:26. | :39:29. | |
below the shoulders has regained some movement by using his thoughts | :39:30. | :39:32. | |
to send messages from implants Doctors say it's the first time | :39:33. | :39:37. | |
a system controlled by the brain has helped someone with severe paralysis | :39:38. | :39:42. | |
to reach and hold objects. A private funeral for the singer | :39:43. | :39:44. | |
George Michael has taken His publicist said it was | :39:45. | :39:47. | |
a small ceremony, attended The singer's family thanked his fans | :39:48. | :39:52. | |
across the world "for their many He was found dead at his Oxfordshire | :39:53. | :39:56. | |
home on Christmas Day last year. Let's return to events | :39:57. | :40:05. | |
here at Westminster, on the day the United Kingdom formally | :40:06. | :40:08. | |
served notice that it Our Political Editor Laura | :40:09. | :40:11. | |
Kuenssberg is with me again. For a variety of reasons, what you | :40:12. | :40:29. | |
will emerge from it? Every now and then there are big moments that make | :40:30. | :40:34. | |
us. On the 23rd of June decision became clear, today with 12.25, when | :40:35. | :40:39. | |
the letter was handed across. As you say, people voted for all sorts of | :40:40. | :40:43. | |
reasons, but many of the people who were persuaded to vote out did so on | :40:44. | :40:46. | |
the promise of lots of money coming back from Brussels to go to the NHS | :40:47. | :40:52. | |
and a promise of control, the implication of reducing immigration. | :40:53. | :40:55. | |
What was interesting this afternoon, after her very links free time in | :40:56. | :40:58. | |
the House of Commons, when Theresa May spoke at length about this, she | :40:59. | :41:11. | |
would not promise to make a significant cut on the levels of | :41:12. | :41:13. | |
immigration, nor would she be specific about how many billions she | :41:14. | :41:16. | |
thinks will come back, nor what she would do with it as Prime Minister. | :41:17. | :41:18. | |
And remember, she's not just there for dealing with these complicated | :41:19. | :41:20. | |
negotiations, she also has to cope with expectations at home. The | :41:21. | :41:23. | |
expectations that the many millions of people who will be watching this | :41:24. | :41:26. | |
tonight and feeling thrilled about the fact the process is finally | :41:27. | :41:30. | |
underway. When you think about it, there are huge opportunities here, | :41:31. | :41:34. | |
too. But it's properly the least palatable set of challenges for any | :41:35. | :41:42. | |
modern peace time Prime Minister. Mind-bendingly complicated | :41:43. | :41:44. | |
negotiations, strong expectations at home, the Scottish Government intent | :41:45. | :41:49. | |
on pushing their agenda for a second referendum and of course, plenty of | :41:50. | :41:53. | |
people on her back in her own party, pushing for the kind of Brexit that | :41:54. | :41:59. | |
they want. A very, very complicated and difficult set of challenges. | :42:00. | :42:03. | |
Those close to her say Theresa May is fearless in the political pursuit | :42:04. | :42:06. | |
of what she wants to achieve. Let's hope they are right, not just for | :42:07. | :42:10. | |
her career but for the sake of getting it right for all of us. Once | :42:11. | :42:17. | |
again, Laura, thank you. Laura Kuenssberg with me tonight at | :42:18. | :42:19. | |
Westminster. That is it tonight for BBC News attempt. In a moment, the | :42:20. | :42:21. | |
news where you are. But we'll leave you with some | :42:22. | :42:26. | |
of the defining moments of the past 9 months, | :42:27. | :42:28. | |
from the day the voters of Britain took the momentous decision | :42:29. | :42:31. | |
to leave the European Union. The British people have spoken | :42:32. | :42:34. | |
and the answer is we're out. We're Great Britain, | :42:35. | :42:37. | |
that's what we do. The British people have made | :42:38. | :42:40. | |
a very clear decision And, as such, I think the country | :42:41. | :42:46. | |
requires fresh leadership to take It's a victory for ordinary | :42:47. | :42:52. | |
people, decent people. This does not mean that | :42:53. | :42:59. | |
the United Kingdom will be Nor, indeed, does it mean that it | :43:00. | :43:03. | |
will be any less European. The option of a second referendum | :43:04. | :43:11. | |
must be on the table. Her Majesty the Queen | :43:12. | :43:17. | |
has asked me to form Brexit means Brexit, and we're | :43:18. | :43:20. | |
going to make a success of it. No Prime Minister, no | :43:21. | :43:29. | |
Government can expect to be This was a nationwide referendum | :43:30. | :43:35. | |
of the British people, The British people have been led to | :43:36. | :44:10. | |
think of a future that seems unrealistic. | :44:11. | :44:11. | |
This is an historic moment from which there can | :44:12. | :44:13. | |
Britain is leaving the European Union. | :44:14. | :44:16. | |
We are going to make our own decisions and our own laws. | :44:17. | :44:19. | |
There is no reason to pretend that this is a happy day. | :44:20. | :44:33. | |
I choose to believe in Britain and that our best days lie ahead. | :44:34. | :44:38. |