:00:38. > :00:43.So, Prime Minister, the negotiations to leave the European Union began.
:00:44. > :00:47.It is a historic moment for our country. In what ways will Britain
:00:48. > :00:51.be a better country for leaving the European Union? You are absolutely
:00:52. > :00:55.right, Andrew, that this is a historic moment for our country. We
:00:56. > :00:59.are putting into place now the decisions that was taken in the
:01:00. > :01:05.referendum of the 23rd of June last year to leave the European Union and
:01:06. > :01:09.the formal process has begun. I have written to, as they say, invoke the
:01:10. > :01:13.Article 50 people will have heard about which starts a process of
:01:14. > :01:18.formal associations. As we look ahead to the outcome of the
:01:19. > :01:22.negotiations I believe we should be optimistic as a country about what
:01:23. > :01:28.we can achieve. I think when people voted last June, they voted for us
:01:29. > :01:33.to be in control of our borders, our laws but I think people also voted
:01:34. > :01:37.for change in the country and that is way alongside the work we are
:01:38. > :01:41.doing on Brexit I can clear the Government has a plan for Britain to
:01:42. > :01:46.build a more outward looking country, a stronger economy where
:01:47. > :01:49.everyone plays by the same rules, a fairer society where success is
:01:50. > :01:55.based on merit and a privilege and to make sure we are a more united
:01:56. > :01:58.nation. Somewhere children and grandchildren can be protocol home.
:01:59. > :02:02.But we couldn't have been better in all these ways and remained in the
:02:03. > :02:06.European Union? British people decided they wanted to come out of
:02:07. > :02:11.the European Union and I think when they made that vote, when they give
:02:12. > :02:16.that very clear message to us as politicians, I think what they
:02:17. > :02:20.wanted to see was the United Kingdom making its decisions and not feeling
:02:21. > :02:24.that decisions were being taken in Brussels. It's in the I have sent to
:02:25. > :02:29.trigger this formal process today, I make the point that we are not
:02:30. > :02:33.rejecting Europe, we are not projecting values of democracy and
:02:34. > :02:37.European values, we are saying it is about our national
:02:38. > :02:41.self-determination as a United Kingdom and having control. You have
:02:42. > :02:45.mentioned in control several times. So let me start with immigration.
:02:46. > :02:48.They do that because from many people the scale of immigration over
:02:49. > :02:54.the past ten years was a major, not the only reason, but a major reason
:02:55. > :02:59.why they voted to leave, so can the people who voted that way be
:03:00. > :03:02.reassured that immigration will be significant leader were after
:03:03. > :03:07.Brexit? You are right, for a lot of people when they voted, immigration
:03:08. > :03:12.was one of the key issues. I think what they wanted to know it was the
:03:13. > :03:18.UK Government taking control of our borders, that decisions will be made
:03:19. > :03:21.here in the UK. Obviously we want to see migration, net immigration
:03:22. > :03:26.coming down, we have been able to put rules in place in relation to
:03:27. > :03:30.people coming here to the UK from outside the European Union. Now as a
:03:31. > :03:33.result leaving the European Union we will be able to put rules in place
:03:34. > :03:37.decided here about the basis on which people can come from inside...
:03:38. > :03:42.But will immigration be significantly lower after Brexit? I
:03:43. > :03:46.think we will see a difference in the number of people coming in but I
:03:47. > :03:49.was Home Secretary for six years and when you look at immigration you
:03:50. > :03:53.constantly have to look at this issue because there are so many
:03:54. > :03:57.variables, different things that can happen in the world but affect the
:03:58. > :04:02.numbers of people trying to come here to the UK. What we will be able
:04:03. > :04:07.to do as a result of leaving the EU is have control of our borders, set
:04:08. > :04:10.those rules for people coming from outside, inside the European Union
:04:11. > :04:15.into the UK, we haven't been able to do that so we will be able to have
:04:16. > :04:19.control of those numbers, set the rules for that as we have been able
:04:20. > :04:23.to set the rules for others in the past. So what will be rules be for
:04:24. > :04:27.EU citizens coming here in the future? We are looking at the moment
:04:28. > :04:31.that what we think should be right and we will be actually bringing
:04:32. > :04:35.forward a bill in parliament in due course which will set out our
:04:36. > :04:38.proposals. There are a couple of issues around people from European
:04:39. > :04:41.Union. Of course there are quite a few people from the European Union
:04:42. > :04:45.living here in the UK already. Some of them will have been here for a
:04:46. > :04:49.considerable period of time, others will have come more recently. One of
:04:50. > :04:53.the things I want to be able to do is to give them reassurance about
:04:54. > :04:58.the future but they only want to do that when I know those UK citizens
:04:59. > :05:02.who have moved over to countries in the European Union are also going to
:05:03. > :05:08.have that reassurance and guarantees. I understand that but
:05:09. > :05:11.I'm talking about people coming here in the future from the EU. Would you
:05:12. > :05:14.envisage as part of a Brexit deal there would be some sort of
:05:15. > :05:19.preference for EU citizens who want to come and work your? What I am
:05:20. > :05:24.clear about is there will still be opportunities for people who want to
:05:25. > :05:27.come to the UK from the EU but we will bring forward specific proposal
:05:28. > :05:31.on what the rules should be in due course and those will go through our
:05:32. > :05:35.Parliament and looked at by members of Parliament and we will decide
:05:36. > :05:39.what those rules should be. We want to make sure of course that our
:05:40. > :05:45.economy is so strong. We see many people here working in our in or
:05:46. > :05:49.public sector. We want make sure that we still have the strong
:05:50. > :05:51.economy but people want is to be in control and that is the important
:05:52. > :05:56.thing and that is what will be doing. But the Conservatives
:05:57. > :06:03.promised to cut migration to 100,000 a year to seven years ago, you are
:06:04. > :06:07.still nowhere near that figure. Indeed non-EU migration, people
:06:08. > :06:11.coming from beyond the EU, that migration alone is well over 100,000
:06:12. > :06:15.a year. You must understand why people are sceptical about anything
:06:16. > :06:19.you say on immigration? If you look at what has happened to those
:06:20. > :06:24.migration figures, net immigration figures, over the last seven years,
:06:25. > :06:26.they went up, they have come down and up again... They are still
:06:27. > :06:34.really high. They are higher than they want me to be. You are
:06:35. > :06:39.absolutely right about but that is what I have just said, it is
:06:40. > :06:42.important. You can't just set once set of rules for immigration and
:06:43. > :06:45.think that is the answer and you go away and forget about it. Have to
:06:46. > :06:53.constantly be looking at this, constantly saying, have they got it
:06:54. > :06:57.right? You can't reduce net migration to 100,000 without major
:06:58. > :07:01.cuts in both EU and non-EU migration, isn't that right? We need
:07:02. > :07:05.to continue to look across the board as well as introducing rules for
:07:06. > :07:08.people from the European Union, we also need to continue looking across
:07:09. > :07:13.the board. But there is something else we need to do as a country,
:07:14. > :07:17.which is to make sure people here in the UK have the skills they need to
:07:18. > :07:20.take the job is here so that businesses don't feel they have to
:07:21. > :07:25.reach out overseas to bring people in all the time. One final thing on
:07:26. > :07:29.immigration, the British economy has done better than most forecasters
:07:30. > :07:34.said at the time of the referendum, it continues to do pretty well this
:07:35. > :07:39.year. What happens if we continue to do well and you need more than
:07:40. > :07:43.100,000 migrants a year? Would you let them in? One of the things as I
:07:44. > :07:46.have just said is crucial to us as we look to our economy for the
:07:47. > :07:50.future is for us to make sure that people here in the UK are getting
:07:51. > :07:54.the training and education and skills they need to be able to take
:07:55. > :07:59.on the jobs for that growing economy in the future. That is why as a
:08:00. > :08:02.government we are putting more money in the technical education, ensuring
:08:03. > :08:06.that young people have the opportunity to get the skills they
:08:07. > :08:10.need. I want to see a high paid high skilled economy in the future but we
:08:11. > :08:13.need to ensure that young people today are going to be able to take
:08:14. > :08:19.those jobs tomorrow. The EU has talked of a one-off multi-billion
:08:20. > :08:25.pound exit they, some have suggested it could be as much as ?50 billion,
:08:26. > :08:29.maybe more. Would you contemplate some anything like that? One, people
:08:30. > :08:35.voted last year, one of the things that voted for is that in future
:08:36. > :08:37.outside the EU we are not paying significant sums of money on an
:08:38. > :08:42.annual basis into the European Union. Of course we have to look at
:08:43. > :08:45.the rights and obligations we have as a member of the EU is why we
:08:46. > :08:52.continue to be a member until we leave we will continue carrying on
:08:53. > :08:57.paying according to obligations. But would we pay an exit fee of a thing
:08:58. > :09:00.like 50 billion? As we look at negotiations we have to decide what
:09:01. > :09:05.the obligations are but what I very clear about is that what people want
:09:06. > :09:08.to seek is that in the future we will be making decisions about our
:09:09. > :09:12.Budget, we will be deciding not to pay those sums of money every year
:09:13. > :09:17.into the European money. I understand we may continue to decide
:09:18. > :09:19.with some programmes, and make contributions given that would leave
:09:20. > :09:23.but I am not talking about that, I am talking about an exit fee that
:09:24. > :09:29.the EU was talking about, is demanding almost, around 50 billion,
:09:30. > :09:33.so I ask again, is that in the ballpark that you would contemplate?
:09:34. > :09:37.You talk about an exit fee the EU is demanding. There has been a lot of
:09:38. > :09:42.speculation. Actually there isn't a form of the month. Negotiations
:09:43. > :09:47.haven't started yet. -- formal demand. I'm very clear about what
:09:48. > :09:52.the people of the UK expect but I am also clear we are a law-abiding
:09:53. > :09:56.nation, we will meet obligations that we have. As a member until the
:09:57. > :10:00.point we leave we will be continuing to pay according to the rights and
:10:01. > :10:04.obligations of the member so. Many people watching this will wonder, we
:10:05. > :10:09.are leaving, why should we pay anything at all to the? We are not
:10:10. > :10:13.talking about paying to leave, we will be leaving the European Union.
:10:14. > :10:17.What we are talking about is ensuring that when we leave, first
:10:18. > :10:22.of all, when we leave people will see that we will be taking decisions
:10:23. > :10:25.about our Budget, we won't be required to make significant
:10:26. > :10:30.payments every year into the EU's Budget. As you say there may be some
:10:31. > :10:33.particular programmes we want to be members of that we wish to pay in
:10:34. > :10:37.order to be members of because it will be the national interest to do
:10:38. > :10:42.that and that is what will drive us. The European Union is talking about
:10:43. > :10:45.a divorce Bill. Mr Barnier the head negotiator stopping about a divorce
:10:46. > :10:51.Bill. Are we prepared to pay a divorce Bill? There has been a lot
:10:52. > :10:56.of speculation and comment about these comments, we are not in
:10:57. > :10:59.negotiations yet. We will start those from negotiations soon. We
:11:00. > :11:04.have done the first step which is triggering Article 50 and as I have
:11:05. > :11:07.said, the UK is a law-abiding nation and we will look at the rights and
:11:08. > :11:13.obligations that we have. You mentioned already the importance of
:11:14. > :11:17.EU citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU and they would
:11:18. > :11:22.like to be reassured about the future. Do you believe you can
:11:23. > :11:26.resolve and announce this quickly? One of the things I have put in the
:11:27. > :11:31.letter to President task is precisely that I want to get an
:11:32. > :11:37.early agreement about this. The task. Some people say to me that EU
:11:38. > :11:40.citizens here are concerned about the future and I recognise that but
:11:41. > :11:46.as UK Prime Minister I need to think about UK citizens who are living
:11:47. > :11:50.abroad as well. I mentioned that... They could both be reassured
:11:51. > :11:55.quickly. I want a reciprocal agreement in terms of guaranteeing
:11:56. > :11:58.status of EU citizens and UK citizens and I have said they think
:11:59. > :12:01.this should be done at an early stage. I believe from the talks I
:12:02. > :12:07.have had with other leaders there is a good welfare, but there are those
:12:08. > :12:11.who recognise the importance of -- will there. I think we will be able
:12:12. > :12:16.to address this as one of the earlier things in the negotiations.
:12:17. > :12:20.By early could it be this summer? I don't want to put a date on it but I
:12:21. > :12:24.wanted to be as early as possible precisely because as you have just
:12:25. > :12:27.said people are worried about their futures and I think it is only fair
:12:28. > :12:32.to work to give them reassurance as soon as we can. You believe that
:12:33. > :12:38.Brexit means we can no longer be recent of the single market, why? --
:12:39. > :12:44.members. Other leaders in Europe have made very clear, they use this
:12:45. > :12:47.term the four freedoms, they go together, they are indivisible. What
:12:48. > :12:52.are they? The importance of free movement and we said we want to
:12:53. > :12:58.control movement from the EU. It is the membership of the single market,
:12:59. > :13:01.it entails accepting that freedom of movement. Also accepting the
:13:02. > :13:04.jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. These are exactly things
:13:05. > :13:08.that people voted to reject when they voted to leave the European
:13:09. > :13:12.Union. And so I have accepted that we can't have that membership of the
:13:13. > :13:15.single market because to do it would mean accepting things that the
:13:16. > :13:21.voters have said they don't want. But what we can do, I believe, is to
:13:22. > :13:25.get a really good trade agreement with the European Union in terms of
:13:26. > :13:28.access for our businesses to their single market and of course for
:13:29. > :13:32.their businesses to our market. But do you accept that no matter how
:13:33. > :13:36.good a free trade deal you will get an an acceptable type to get the
:13:37. > :13:42.best you can, no matter how good, it can't be as good as the unrestricted
:13:43. > :13:45.access we currently enjoy as members of the single market? I believe that
:13:46. > :13:48.what we will be working for and what I believe we can get is a
:13:49. > :13:54.comprehensive free trade agreement. We are looking, we would like to see
:13:55. > :13:57.as frictionless and free trade is possible, tariff free across borders
:13:58. > :14:03.so that we can continue that trade with the European Union. But can it
:14:04. > :14:07.be as good? It will be different, because it won't be a relationship
:14:08. > :14:09.based on membership of the single market and based on accepting all
:14:10. > :14:13.the other things that voters rejected. What it will be is saying
:14:14. > :14:19.that we want that new partnership with the EU. We still want to work
:14:20. > :14:23.with you and cooperate with you and actually getting a trade agreement
:14:24. > :14:24.isn't just about the UK. It is not just about our businesses, it is
:14:25. > :14:39.about You're Brexit Minister David Davis
:14:40. > :14:43.said that there would be a deal that would deliver the exact same
:14:44. > :14:48.benefits we enjoy right now. You and I know that cannot be true! The
:14:49. > :14:53.European Union will never agree to the exact same benefits what was are
:14:54. > :14:56.both looking for is that comprehensive free trade agreement
:14:57. > :15:01.that gives that ability to trade freely into the European single
:15:02. > :15:05.market. We want them to trade with us. It would be a different
:15:06. > :15:09.relationship but I think it could have the same benefits in terms of
:15:10. > :15:16.free access to trade. When we leave the EU and we end our membership of
:15:17. > :15:21.?40 European agencies, security, health care, I want to ask you about
:15:22. > :15:25.to specific ones, one of them is timely given the events in West
:15:26. > :15:31.Minister last week, will our membership of Euro poll, the police
:15:32. > :15:35.Europe-wide service, will that continue post-Brexit? That is one of
:15:36. > :15:43.the things we will have to negotiate as part of the negotiations. I think
:15:44. > :15:48.security cooperation in several matters is important for us. It is
:15:49. > :15:52.not just Europol, there are systems about exchanging information about
:15:53. > :15:55.people crossing borders, which I think are invaluable to us and
:15:56. > :15:59.valuable to the other countries. Would you like to remain a member of
:16:00. > :16:04.Europol? I would like a degree of cooperation on these matters that we
:16:05. > :16:13.have currently. I have argued before for exactly this, when a couple of
:16:14. > :16:16.years ago when we were looking at justice and Home Affairs matters, it
:16:17. > :16:18.is important for us and I want us to be able to continue that degree of
:16:19. > :16:22.cooperation. It will be part of the package of negotiations because at
:16:23. > :16:25.the moment when we leave the European Union, unless we have
:16:26. > :16:29.negotiated still to be members of those sorts of organisations and
:16:30. > :16:34.arrangements, our membership will lapse. Would we then cease to share
:16:35. > :16:38.information? We would not be able to access information in the same way
:16:39. > :16:42.we would as a member and I think it is important that we are able to
:16:43. > :16:46.negotiate a continuing relationship that enables us to work together.
:16:47. > :16:50.Right at the moment, and of course this was brought home to us in
:16:51. > :16:53.London last week, right at the moment, now is not the time given
:16:54. > :16:59.the threats that we face across Europe for us to see less
:17:00. > :17:04.cooperation, we want to continue that cooperation. Will UK citizens
:17:05. > :17:10.still be eligible for free access to health care across the EU through
:17:11. > :17:17.the European health insurance card? That also will be a matter that will
:17:18. > :17:22.be part of the negotiations. We will be... There are two issues, the
:17:23. > :17:25.issue of people who are currently resident in the European member
:17:26. > :17:28.states and the rights that they have and then of course, the rights that
:17:29. > :17:32.people will have as they move across Europe. We want to get the best
:17:33. > :17:39.possible deal for its citizens here in the UK and I want the best
:17:40. > :17:43.possible deal for everyone. We have a whole raft of negotiations that we
:17:44. > :17:47.have to go through, a whole raft of issues that we will be looking at in
:17:48. > :17:51.relation to these matters and we need the flexibility of being able
:17:52. > :17:55.to deal with those issues and the relationship will be different in
:17:56. > :17:59.the future. It is not necessarily a question of whether we will
:18:00. > :18:03.replicate this or that, we will have a different relationship. You talk
:18:04. > :18:06.about a whole raft of things, and a different relationship, you need to
:18:07. > :18:26.negotiate the divorce terms and that this highly controversial. You want
:18:27. > :18:27.a new free trade steel for goods and services, new crime-fighting
:18:28. > :18:29.arrangements and new health arrangements and you need to
:18:30. > :18:32.repatriate 50 trade agreements and you need to have it all ratified by
:18:33. > :18:35.27 other countries as well as our own, all in under two years, that is
:18:36. > :18:38.impossible! It is challenging but I think it is possible and the reason
:18:39. > :18:40.I think it is possible is because of this, there are two reasons, first
:18:41. > :18:43.of all I think it is possible because with goodwill on both sides,
:18:44. > :18:46.I think both sides recognise that it is in our interests to make sure
:18:47. > :18:50.that we get these arrangements in place so that when we leave, we have
:18:51. > :18:54.got that trade arrangement and we know what it will be. There might be
:18:55. > :18:58.a period of implementation after the point of withdrawal, but we know
:18:59. > :19:02.what the arrangement is and everyone is certain about where the future
:19:03. > :19:10.lies. It is in the interests of both sides to do this but the other
:19:11. > :19:13.reason why think it is possible is because we are not a third country
:19:14. > :19:16.in the sense that we are a country that has never been part of the
:19:17. > :19:20.European Union, we have been part of the EU, we have been operating on
:19:21. > :19:23.the same basis with them and I think that puts us in a different position
:19:24. > :19:28.for the future and makes it easier for us to negotiate these
:19:29. > :19:32.arrangements than if we were coming at it fresh. Do you rule out a
:19:33. > :19:37.period, even after we leave, if things remain to be resolved? By the
:19:38. > :19:40.end of two years, I want everyone to know what the withdrawal agreement
:19:41. > :19:46.is and what the future relationship is. I have called it a deep and
:19:47. > :19:50.special partnership with the EU, we are still part of Europe and we want
:19:51. > :19:55.to work and co-operate with them and I want that agreed by the end of the
:19:56. > :19:59.two years. It may be that there are has to be a period of implementation
:20:00. > :20:05.as people and businesses are just as governments are just do it ever the
:20:06. > :20:09.new arrangements are. If there is a transitional period, without still
:20:10. > :20:12.involve the free movement of people and being under the jurisdiction of
:20:13. > :20:17.the European Court or do both of these things have to end in two
:20:18. > :20:22.years' time? We want to make sure that we are ending the jurisdiction
:20:23. > :20:26.of the European court of justice and that we are able to control movement
:20:27. > :20:40.of people coming from the European union. We want
:20:41. > :20:43.to have the agreements done in two years, there may then be a period
:20:44. > :20:45.during which we implement those arrangements, a simple example, if
:20:46. > :20:48.there are different these arrangements, that need to be put in
:20:49. > :20:51.place, governments will have to have the system is working so that they
:20:52. > :20:53.can operate. There may be a period where we have got to implement the
:20:54. > :20:57.decisions. You said in the event of no deal, we may have to change their
:20:58. > :21:03.British economic model, what does that mean? On the no deal, I have
:21:04. > :21:07.said that first of all, that would be better than a bad deal, we do not
:21:08. > :21:14.want to see a bad deal and I say that because I think there are some
:21:15. > :21:18.people in Europe who talk about punishing the UK and I don't want to
:21:19. > :21:21.sign up to an agreement that is based on that. There are others here
:21:22. > :21:25.who perhaps feel that we should be so keen to get an agreement that we
:21:26. > :21:30.might sign up to things that British people rejected when they voted to
:21:31. > :21:34.leave the European Union. What does a different economic model mean?
:21:35. > :21:44.What I have said in the letter today, if we do not get a deal, then
:21:45. > :21:46.we would go on to what are called these World Trade Organisation
:21:47. > :21:49.arrangements for trading and in those circumstances, I have made
:21:50. > :21:55.clear, that is not what we should want. I will come to the point about
:21:56. > :21:59.the economic model but it is not in the interests of either side, I
:22:00. > :22:04.think, to have those arrangements. It is not just about us, it is about
:22:05. > :22:08.the EU as well, what ever comes out, we want to ensure we continue to
:22:09. > :22:13.have a competitive economy and that is what we will be looking at. What
:22:14. > :22:17.does a different economic model mean? We would take decisions at the
:22:18. > :22:29.time as to what we felt was necessary to keep our economy
:22:30. > :22:32.competitive, here in the United Kingdom, to make sure that we are
:22:33. > :22:35.putting in place the arrangements for a business that keep jobs. We do
:22:36. > :22:38.work to do that. I am not sure what are new economic model is. Labour
:22:39. > :22:43.say it is a tax haven. Labour set up all sorts of straw men about what
:22:44. > :22:47.this might be in the future. It is about making sure that job stay here
:22:48. > :22:51.in the UK and new jobs are created. It is about making sure we have the
:22:52. > :22:55.economy that enables people to have those high-paid and high skilled
:22:56. > :23:02.jobs and we are ensuring that young people here have skills the future.
:23:03. > :23:07.Let me ask one important question, if we do not get a deal, will not
:23:08. > :23:11.jeopardise our existing cooperation against crime and terrorism with our
:23:12. > :23:17.European partners? If there is no deal, without that week it? If I can
:23:18. > :23:20.separate bills, on some of the cooperation we have, with them on
:23:21. > :23:24.terrorism, that takes place outside the European Union and the
:23:25. > :23:28.structures of the European Union. If we do not get a deal on the sort of
:23:29. > :23:34.security arrangements I was talking about earlier, the exchange of
:23:35. > :23:38.information at our borders, then I think that is one of the reasons why
:23:39. > :23:43.we should aim not to be in the position of getting no deal, but
:23:44. > :23:47.instead getting a good deal, that cooperation is important. We are
:23:48. > :23:52.leaving the customs union, Ireland is not, do you accept that that must
:23:53. > :23:57.mean tax on the Irish border? We are very clear and I have spoken to the
:23:58. > :24:00.government in the Republic and the Taoiseach, we do not want to see a
:24:01. > :24:04.return to the borders of the past and we are working very closely with
:24:05. > :24:07.the Irish government about the arrangements that can be put in
:24:08. > :24:21.place to ensure a frictionless border in a practical
:24:22. > :24:25.sense, for goods and services and people travelling between Northern
:24:26. > :24:27.Ireland and the Republic. The Leave campaign promised a Brexit dividend
:24:28. > :24:30.of ?350 million a week, much of which they said to be spent on the
:24:31. > :24:33.NHS, how big do you think the dividend will be and do you think
:24:34. > :24:36.most of it should go to the NHS? People want what they voted for and
:24:37. > :24:39.for the UK to be able to decide how it spends its budget, not to be
:24:40. > :24:43.spending significant sums of money every year paying into the European
:24:44. > :24:47.Union and paying it to Brussels. When we leave, we will have control
:24:48. > :24:55.of that money and we will decide how we spend it. I think that is what
:24:56. > :24:59.people want. How big will it be? We will be, as part of the
:25:00. > :25:02.negotiations, we will ensure we are not paying those significant sums in
:25:03. > :25:06.the future and we will then be able to see what the size of that
:25:07. > :25:10.dividend will be and then determine how that money is spent. There are
:25:11. > :25:18.lots of things that we need to think about. It was the NHS on the side of
:25:19. > :25:23.the bus! During the referendum, there were points made often
:25:24. > :25:27.passionately on both sides of the argument. We are now beyond the
:25:28. > :25:32.referendum, we are now at the point where we are putting this into
:25:33. > :25:36.practice, where we are starting what will be complex, challenging, but I
:25:37. > :25:40.think achievable negotiations and I am optimistic about what we can
:25:41. > :25:44.achieve in the future. What people voted for is for us to have control
:25:45. > :25:48.and that is what we will have. You have rejected the demands of the
:25:49. > :25:49.Scottish First Minister for a second independence referendum and you say
:25:50. > :26:06.it is not the time, but what about when
:26:07. > :26:08.you have done the Brexit deal and we know what it involves, would you
:26:09. > :26:10.still rule out a second Scottish referendum? The comment I am getting
:26:11. > :26:13.from the Scottish Government and the SNP are that they want confirmation
:26:14. > :26:16.now that they are going to have a second independence referendum. What
:26:17. > :26:19.I am saying is, I think now is not the time and I think now is not the
:26:20. > :26:22.time to be focusing on it. I accept you do not like the timing, but what
:26:23. > :26:27.about later, when the Brexit deal is done? The Scottish people can see
:26:28. > :26:31.what it looks like, they voted to remain in the EU, people would argue
:26:32. > :26:37.they deserve a second decision, are you against it in principle? Can I
:26:38. > :26:43.explain what I said, this is relevant? Now is not the time to
:26:44. > :26:47.focus on a second independence referendum or to be looking at that
:26:48. > :26:50.second independence referendum, because, for two reasons, now is the
:26:51. > :26:54.time when we need to pull together as the United Kingdom. We need to be
:26:55. > :26:58.talking about how we can work together to get the best possible
:26:59. > :27:01.deal for everybody across the whole of the United Kingdom and focusing
:27:02. > :27:06.on an independence referendum is not about doing that and that is why it
:27:07. > :27:13.is so important for us to ensure that we do focus on the future...
:27:14. > :27:17.And also I think it is important that we recognise, I think Andrew,
:27:18. > :27:22.the question is not whether there could be a second referendum, it is
:27:23. > :27:27.whether there should be. The people of Scotland voted in 2014, they
:27:28. > :27:32.voted to stay part of the United Kingdom, the SNP described it as a
:27:33. > :27:36.once in a generation, once opportunity to vote for
:27:37. > :27:40.independence, the people gave their message, just as we are respecting
:27:41. > :27:59.the referendum that took place here last year on EU membership, so we
:28:00. > :28:02.should all all respect the 2014 Scottish referendum. During the
:28:03. > :28:05.referendum you said you believed it was clearly in our national interest
:28:06. > :28:08.to remain a member of the EU and now you say that Brexit will build a
:28:09. > :28:11.better Britain, who is the real Theresa May? I did campaign for
:28:12. > :28:14.Remain and I did vote to Remain but I also said I did not think this guy
:28:15. > :28:16.would fall in if we left the European Union and it has not. It
:28:17. > :28:19.looks like you're doing the mother of all U-turns. I have been put in a
:28:20. > :28:22.position as Prime Minister, I believe, to respect the wishes of
:28:23. > :28:25.the people of the United Kingdom in that referendum and I believe it is
:28:26. > :28:29.my job now to deliver the best possible future for the UK and that
:28:30. > :28:33.is why... It is not just about Brexit, it is about my plan for
:28:34. > :28:37.Britain, more outward looking Britain, a fairer society and a
:28:38. > :28:41.stronger economy and the United nation and it is about taking out
:28:42. > :28:45.forward which is about building a brighter future for everyone in the
:28:46. > :28:49.UK. If it is for the will of the British people, when you do the
:28:50. > :28:52.deal, when it is clear the terms under which we will leave the EU,
:28:53. > :29:14.why would you not take that to the country, either in
:29:15. > :29:18.the second referendum, or go to the country in a General Election and
:29:19. > :29:21.get the people to vote for the deal that you do? When we have the deal,
:29:22. > :29:23.there will be a vote in the UK Parliament. There will be votes in
:29:24. > :29:27.parliaments across Europe, because they will need to be a process. That
:29:28. > :29:29.is right way to do it, to say to the UK Parliament, this is your
:29:30. > :29:31.opportunity to vote for this deal. I am confident that we are going to
:29:32. > :29:35.get a deal that is going to be good for the British people. The British
:29:36. > :29:38.people have basically said, go and get on with it. We want to leave the
:29:39. > :29:42.EU, get on with it and that is what we will do. Thank you.
:29:43. > :29:45.Well, we leave Downing Street and you join us in the BBC Newsline
:29:46. > :29:46.studio for a special Brexit programme.
:29:47. > :29:49.Brexit must not harm the peace process or the UK's unique
:29:50. > :29:51.relationship with the Republic - Theresa May's words
:29:52. > :29:55.in her letter triggering the formal Brexit process.
:29:56. > :30:01.We are very clear, both I and I have talked to the Government in the
:30:02. > :30:04.Republic, the Taoiseach about this, we are clear we don't want to see a
:30:05. > :30:07.return to the borders of the past and we're working very closely with
:30:08. > :30:11.the Irish government about the arrangements that can be put in
:30:12. > :30:15.place to ensure a frictionless border in a practical sense, if
:30:16. > :30:17.frictionless border for goods and services and people travelling
:30:18. > :30:17.between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
:30:18. > :30:19.We'll be getting reaction to that and the day's
:30:20. > :30:21.events from politicians and business representatives.
:30:22. > :30:23.Before that here's a quick look at the likely timeline.
:30:24. > :30:25.So, today Article 50 was triggered, formally beginning
:30:26. > :30:33.On 29 April the leaders of other 27 EU countries will hold a Brexit
:30:34. > :30:37.summit and adopt guidelines for negotiations with UK.
:30:38. > :30:40.In the autumn of 2017 negotiations begin in earnest, most likely
:30:41. > :30:46.Then a year later both sides aim to have a deal concluded,
:30:47. > :30:55.allowing six months for it to be ratified by various parliaments.
:30:56. > :31:01.Let's hear now from the DUP and Sinn Fein.
:31:02. > :31:05.I'm joined by Christopher Stalford and John O'Dowd.
:31:06. > :31:11.Christopher Stalford, no certainty on health care, immigration, trade.
:31:12. > :31:15.How can you share the confidence of the British Government? I think
:31:16. > :31:17.firstly and most importantly this is the fulfilment of the desires
:31:18. > :31:22.expressed by the British people in the referendum. And people sometimes
:31:23. > :31:26.get very cynical about politics and think voting doesn't change things
:31:27. > :31:31.but here we have a Prime Minister who was on the side of Remain during
:31:32. > :31:37.the referendum campaign implementing the expressed will of the people of
:31:38. > :31:41.this country. So this is a momentous and historic day. But how can you be
:31:42. > :31:45.certain we won't be damaged? The fact is we are entering a period of
:31:46. > :31:50.negotiation. We have all sorts of tactics trying to prevent us getting
:31:51. > :31:53.to this point, people running after the courts to try and nullify the
:31:54. > :31:58.outcome of the referendum that we are now here and I believe firmly
:31:59. > :32:00.not only in relation to our own unique situation with the Republic
:32:01. > :32:06.of Ireland but also in terms of the other EU member states if there is a
:32:07. > :32:09.will to resolve the issues that need to be resolved, I believe that a
:32:10. > :32:15.weight can be found and I believe we are right to be optimistic about the
:32:16. > :32:18.future of this country but I say that not only in relation to
:32:19. > :32:22.Northern Ireland but in relation to the United Kingdom as a whole.
:32:23. > :32:27.People are nervous. I accept people are nervous and people have concerns
:32:28. > :32:31.but that is why whether you were four Remain of Leave in the
:32:32. > :32:35.referendum it is now incumbent upon all of us to work together to secure
:32:36. > :32:40.the best outcome for the people. John O'Dowd, I want to bring you in.
:32:41. > :32:42.Your emphasis today has been on special status, surely that has
:32:43. > :32:46.already been ruled out it is a happen? Anyone who has been
:32:47. > :32:50.listening to be interview by Theresa May is found there is no answers to
:32:51. > :32:53.any questions that were put to hurt other than it will be sorted out in
:32:54. > :32:59.negotiations. But that is the way she can answer. So there is no deal.
:33:00. > :33:05.Brexit is not a complete package. But special status has been ruled
:33:06. > :33:09.out. Voices in Europe say there requires there to be special studies
:33:10. > :33:11.and circumstances, unique circumstances on the island around
:33:12. > :33:15.all have to be dealt with so be Brexit deal is not yet complete so
:33:16. > :33:22.there is an onus on local political parties, the Irish government and
:33:23. > :33:26.Europe who have been contributors to the peace process to ensure we do
:33:27. > :33:31.have a special studies. Special circumstances here. Ensuring that
:33:32. > :33:35.are unique make-up of this society, you can try the unique economic
:33:36. > :33:40.pressures are the result of Brexit are all dealt with in a special
:33:41. > :33:43.circumstance. No one is arguing there are not special circumstances
:33:44. > :33:47.but what are you specifically looking for? We are looking for
:33:48. > :33:51.membership of the EU, protected. We are looking to ensure the rights and
:33:52. > :33:53.entitlements of citizens currently under EU membership are protected,
:33:54. > :33:59.that the economic realities of living on this island are enshrined
:34:00. > :34:04.in any agreement. And that we can citizens live under the terms of the
:34:05. > :34:09.Good Friday Agreement, accessed the protections that EU membership
:34:10. > :34:13.offers. So you want to stay in the EU? Ideally. But we now have to
:34:14. > :34:16.reach agreement with other political parties in which we are attempting
:34:17. > :34:20.to rebuild the power sharing agreement with but ideally want to
:34:21. > :34:24.stay on in the EU but that are unique relationships already within
:34:25. > :34:28.the EU with different countries and regions of countries within the EU
:34:29. > :34:31.so that is not a unique thing we are asking for. The EU has been
:34:32. > :34:34.imaginative in the past and we are asking for the EU and the British
:34:35. > :34:39.Government and local party to be much it now. There may well be
:34:40. > :34:41.opposition from other members of the EU who don't want to see Northern
:34:42. > :34:47.Ireland getting special status or arrangements. There may well be but
:34:48. > :34:50.let's make sure it ensure those countries are talked to and dialogue
:34:51. > :34:53.takes place to explain the unique circumstances. Let's see what
:34:54. > :34:57.challenges they have and let's deal with those countries and talk
:34:58. > :35:02.through their concerns. But we can't do that without a devolved Assembly.
:35:03. > :35:06.I think this is an important point. We do require a devolved Assembly
:35:07. > :35:09.and a local voice that I attended meetings with the British government
:35:10. > :35:12.along with the Scottish and Welsh executives and the Scottish and
:35:13. > :35:15.Welsh gave detailed papers of the British Government. None of those
:35:16. > :35:19.have been taken into account by the British Government. So has the
:35:20. > :35:22.British Government ignored the devolved in situations? That is
:35:23. > :35:25.certainly what Scotland and Wales are appealing? It is important to
:35:26. > :35:29.note that a majority of people in Wales voted to leave. If they are
:35:30. > :35:35.trying to prevent Wales for leaving the rest... But they want a good
:35:36. > :35:37.deal just as much as Northern Ireland and Scotland. So do we all
:35:38. > :35:41.and it is important we recognise the fact we are being hamstrung by not
:35:42. > :35:45.having devolved institutions of drumming and I certainly want to see
:35:46. > :35:50.that happen and want to see government -- up and running.
:35:51. > :35:56.Raising the sorts of issues that are unique to Northern Ireland but I
:35:57. > :36:00.think it is important to note people talk about respecting mandates. More
:36:01. > :36:04.people voted to leave the European Union in the United Kingdom than
:36:05. > :36:08.have ever voted for any political party or any proposition on a ballot
:36:09. > :36:12.paper in our history. But it is a difficult one because more people in
:36:13. > :36:17.Northern Ireland, and you talk about democracy, did vote to Remain. But
:36:18. > :36:20.the question on the ballot paper related to should the United Kingdom
:36:21. > :36:26.remain a member of the European Union. As the DUP promoting Brexit
:36:27. > :36:29.not been a disaster? A united Ireland is now being talked about
:36:30. > :36:33.more than it has been for years and is the potential break-up of the
:36:34. > :36:36.United Kingdom with Scotland potentially. There is irony in this
:36:37. > :36:40.that nationalists who apparently tell us they hate being ruled by the
:36:41. > :36:45.London insist on being ruled by Brussels. I am confident in their
:36:46. > :36:49.unionism and confident that actually the challenge for unionist parties
:36:50. > :36:53.actually lies in the fact we need to encourage the huge majority of
:36:54. > :36:56.people who I believe would vote for the union in a referendum to vote
:36:57. > :37:00.for unionist parties and that is the challenge going forward. John
:37:01. > :37:04.O'Dowd, it displays will for Sinn Fein, doesn't it, because it gives
:37:05. > :37:09.you a disastrous backdrop you would argue to promote a united Ireland?
:37:10. > :37:13.We don't want a disastrous back-up to promote a united Ireland. We want
:37:14. > :37:17.a stable economy and a stable society across the island of
:37:18. > :37:24.Ireland. The question of reunification stands alone in my
:37:25. > :37:26.opinion but Brexit has raised the issue and not only among
:37:27. > :37:29.nationalists and republicans but also unionists. I am not saying it
:37:30. > :37:32.is a significant number but there are no unions to question where
:37:33. > :37:36.their identity lies. Does lie in an inward looking state or a state
:37:37. > :37:42.which is outward looking? I have to come back on that. Let me finish.
:37:43. > :37:46.Does their future lay in an outward looking state which has a
:37:47. > :37:52.relationship with the European Union or does it lie in an inward looking
:37:53. > :37:57.British? The future of the people of Northern Ireland lies in a truly
:37:58. > :38:02.global United Kingdom, not... They had just resigned from... Not
:38:03. > :38:09.manacled to an ever decreasing trading block. Our future lies
:38:10. > :38:10.looking absolutely positively to the rest of the world. Thank you both
:38:11. > :38:12.for joining us. The border and how it will operate
:38:13. > :38:15.is of course one of the key concerns Vehicle checkpoints,
:38:16. > :38:21.security checks and long queues. Routes were blocked with concrete
:38:22. > :38:23.bollards along the hundreds In her Article 50 letter today
:38:24. > :38:28.Theresa May said she wanted to avoid a return to a hard border
:38:29. > :38:30.and to ensure the UK's withdrawal from the EU does
:38:31. > :38:32.not harm the Republic. Our Ireland correspondent
:38:33. > :38:47.Chris Buckler is on the border It was only 70 years ago that this
:38:48. > :38:52.bridge actually opened, paid for by European money and connecting
:38:53. > :38:56.counties Monaghan and Tyrone, the towns of class lock and Culloden.
:38:57. > :39:07.Previously wrote in this area were sometimes blown up by the Army for
:39:08. > :39:11.security reasons. Nobody is going to use this road for some time without
:39:12. > :39:14.a major basic of engineering work. It could be easily filled in. What
:39:15. > :39:21.happened there? They will come and blow it up again. It is no surprise
:39:22. > :39:25.that people who have lived here are some of those years can remember and
:39:26. > :39:30.see the real difference there has been in the last few years. That
:39:31. > :39:34.speak to Sammy Leslie Crombie sunny Leslie stayed and also William
:39:35. > :39:38.Beatty has been involved in regeneration of this area for some
:39:39. > :39:41.time. Told today by the European Parliament that is not going to be a
:39:42. > :39:46.hard board. That must be a relief to you. That is a relief of growing up
:39:47. > :39:49.this was a hole in the road and there were no tourist here. Over
:39:50. > :39:55.years tourism has grown but it is still fragile and it will need all
:39:56. > :39:58.sort of support. Tourists have so made choices. They will take the
:39:59. > :40:03.easy choice and stay away from areas they think are going to be in their
:40:04. > :40:07.perception difficult to travel in and it is giving them the confidence
:40:08. > :40:13.and making it still an easy area to come and see. So how do you make the
:40:14. > :40:17.border attractive? I do you make it disappear or it is never going to
:40:18. > :40:22.happen for you make it a feature. There is so much history and
:40:23. > :40:27.heritage. This order was first created 4000 years ago. Tell the
:40:28. > :40:31.stories of the border area. Join up the Christian history and tell the
:40:32. > :40:35.stories of the border. William, I mentioned that European money helped
:40:36. > :40:38.fund this bridge and of other things as well. Presumably that money from
:40:39. > :40:46.the EU is going to be missed on the northern side of border. Yes, I grew
:40:47. > :40:51.up on a road just half a mile from here and I can remember at the time
:40:52. > :40:56.before this bridge was blown up and I remember the times after that, but
:40:57. > :41:01.I also remember the last 20 years when there has been a great sea
:41:02. > :41:05.change. Community development has been at the heart of that and
:41:06. > :41:10.European money has been at the heart of that. We have a regeneration
:41:11. > :41:15.partnership in the village. Presumably there is a concern the
:41:16. > :41:18.European money is going to go? First money after we got was the money for
:41:19. > :41:24.the comprehensive development plan for the village and then that was
:41:25. > :41:27.followed on by the formation of the Blackwater region and partnership
:41:28. > :41:31.which is a joint initiative by three. The funding that came through
:41:32. > :41:36.was peace money and interregnum money and I think that wasn't all
:41:37. > :41:41.the money because there was government money, but the European
:41:42. > :41:45.money kick-started all of that. You can see of course what difference it
:41:46. > :41:48.makes when you stand here. You take a look at the bridge that has been
:41:49. > :41:52.built. Things are going to change but how the border changes
:41:53. > :41:52.ultimately is down to the negotiations themselves, Tara. Thank
:41:53. > :41:53.you. Joining me now SDLP MLA
:41:54. > :41:56.Sinead Bradley, Steve Aiken from the Ulster Unionist Party
:41:57. > :42:05.and the Alliance Steven Farry, we have heard from the
:42:06. > :42:08.border there and this idea of a seamless border hasn't been spelt
:42:09. > :42:11.out yet, is that your biggest concern? Think the biggest concern I
:42:12. > :42:19.have going forward is how we will deal with the billion euros worth of
:42:20. > :42:25.tread a week that goes as heresy -- Steve I can. What is done to make it
:42:26. > :42:29.seems. The United Kingdom has been a trading nation for well over 1000
:42:30. > :42:32.years. It will make the border system work. The question we need to
:42:33. > :42:36.do is how we keep the trade moving and the movement of people going,
:42:37. > :42:40.how we can keep the Common travel area up and how we can build all
:42:41. > :42:45.these things together. We as a party are talking about trying to get an
:42:46. > :42:49.enabling treaty between the United Kingdom and Republic of band which
:42:50. > :42:51.deals with the modalities of this issue and I think that is important
:42:52. > :42:58.going forward. -- Republic of Ireland. It comes with things like
:42:59. > :43:03.that rules, rules for freight, all the little things that need to be
:43:04. > :43:06.sorted out. If we can make trade and movement as seamless as possible we
:43:07. > :43:10.can get away from any concerns we have about the border going forward.
:43:11. > :43:14.Sinead, a lot of the economic disaster predicted as in so far
:43:15. > :43:19.materialised, do you share Theresa May's optimism today but really we
:43:20. > :43:25.can go forward and have a fairer United Kingdom? Of course Theresa
:43:26. > :43:29.May was her usual very composed and rehearsed self, but if one thing was
:43:30. > :43:34.clear it was that Theresa May does not have a plan and she does not
:43:35. > :43:38.have any clear idea of what the implications of a Brexit will
:43:39. > :43:42.actually mean. In particular I will look in the Northern Ireland
:43:43. > :43:46.context. There was a promise that the Prime Minister would be here
:43:47. > :43:50.ahead of any triggering, that didn't happen and I suggest the token
:43:51. > :43:56.gesture that has been nodded to Northern Ireland to date indicates
:43:57. > :44:00.that really I have no confidence and the SDLP has no competence in a
:44:01. > :44:04.Conservative government leading us through a Brexit deal. What about
:44:05. > :44:08.the special new increased powers for devolved assemblies, does that not
:44:09. > :44:11.give you confidence that if we do get devolution up and running again
:44:12. > :44:15.we might have more power? There are so many variables there and
:44:16. > :44:20.unfortunately one thing we can all agree on is that business no matter
:44:21. > :44:24.what type of sector it is in, business does not like instability
:44:25. > :44:28.and unfortunately there are so many issues there that businesses are
:44:29. > :44:32.asking and trying to make decisions based on. Northern Ireland in
:44:33. > :44:36.particular is the single region that has most difficulty and no answers.
:44:37. > :44:40.We have no answers to date and we are no further on but we have a
:44:41. > :44:45.determined Theresa May that is going ahead with this regardless of the
:44:46. > :44:48.majority of voices from Northern Ireland and regardless of the
:44:49. > :44:50.possible consequences to businesses and life in general in Northern
:44:51. > :44:58.Ireland. When it comes to Borders, other
:44:59. > :45:08.countries manage this, like Canada and the US, do you not think it can
:45:09. > :45:12.be sorted out? It is an actual hard border. If you look at Norway and
:45:13. > :45:18.Sweden. There has to be physical checks. Technology could be used but
:45:19. > :45:22.if we leave the customs union and we will see a situation where there has
:45:23. > :45:27.to be some degree of physical checks. Some of the terms you will
:45:28. > :45:32.hear our rules of origin, we have to police what comes into Northern
:45:33. > :45:39.Ireland, it cannot be a back door in abuse of the rules. Do we need a
:45:40. > :45:41.border? We need to work out a special deal involving Northern
:45:42. > :45:46.Ireland staying part of the single market and on the right side of the
:45:47. > :45:50.customs union and they are major challenges. They are fundamentally
:45:51. > :45:56.in our interest. This is a sad day for the UK, it will be a diminished
:45:57. > :46:05.nation and Northern Ireland is in a real dilemma. Northern Ireland works
:46:06. > :46:07.on the basis of sharing and interdependence. Brexit is about
:46:08. > :46:09.making hard choices on borders and that is not in our interest. Thank
:46:10. > :46:12.you for joining us. The European Union -
:46:13. > :46:14.and the Republic especially - accounts for the majority
:46:15. > :46:15.of Northern Ireland's Many businesses have voiced
:46:16. > :46:18.concern over what might happen with the border
:46:19. > :46:20.and new customs arrangements. But others are focussed
:46:21. > :46:23.on the potential new trade that could be secured on better terms
:46:24. > :46:25.outside the European Union. Our business correspondent
:46:26. > :46:36.Julian O'Neill has more. It has been said that today marks
:46:37. > :46:40.the point of no return and the government will seek to strike a new
:46:41. > :46:46.trade deal with the EU by the time Brexit happens in two years' time.
:46:47. > :46:51.There are anxieties among the many larger scale local businesses.
:46:52. > :46:57.Ultimately, there is concern about the risk of tariffs, disruption to
:46:58. > :47:01.supply chains and uncertainty around European workers. The stakes are
:47:02. > :47:07.high for exporters, the EU and the republic especially our big markets
:47:08. > :47:19.and many firms hope new arrangements will not damage business. Once freed
:47:20. > :47:21.from the EU, the UK will pursue trade deals independently and this
:47:22. > :47:23.company which makes construction machinery near rich ale has dealers
:47:24. > :47:27.in the likes of Singapore and seize opportunities. The growth in the
:47:28. > :47:32.world is in Asia and south America and North America and Europe has not
:47:33. > :47:36.grown in ten years and I think focusing more on the higher growth
:47:37. > :47:42.areas of the world, for our business, will give us better
:47:43. > :47:46.opportunities. Local trade unions were almost unanimous in opposing
:47:47. > :47:50.Brexit and taking stock today are worried about the prospects of a
:47:51. > :47:55.good deal. Yes, there are possibilities in terms of trade, new
:47:56. > :47:58.links in the Far East and the US and things like that, but trade with the
:47:59. > :48:13.Republic of Ireland and within the European
:48:14. > :48:15.Union should not have hampered that and suddenly the idea that these
:48:16. > :48:17.great possibilities will come to Northern Ireland beyond the EU with
:48:18. > :48:20.Brexit is probably wishful thinking, I think. No one knows what is to
:48:21. > :48:23.come. It is like any other business deal, both sides are talking about
:48:24. > :48:26.the worst position and the compromise will be somewhat better,
:48:27. > :48:30.I think than anything that has been mentioned in the press. It was
:48:31. > :48:36.business as usual here after the referendum and so it will be until
:48:37. > :48:42.March, 2019 and the Nat -- between now and then, negotiators hold the
:48:43. > :48:43.futures of firms like this in their hands.
:48:44. > :48:45.Let's hear now what the business community makes of what the Prime
:48:46. > :48:49.Trevor Lockhart is vice-chair of the CBI in Northern Ireland
:48:50. > :48:51.and Irwin Armstrong is chief executive of CIGA
:48:52. > :49:01.Trevor, were you reassured by the statement by Theresa May today?
:49:02. > :49:04.Today is a pivotal day in the history of Northern Ireland,
:49:05. > :49:08.businesses in Northern Ireland, regardless of how they voted last
:49:09. > :49:12.year and are now determined to make a success Brexit. Brexit, the
:49:13. > :49:18.majority of the business community reflected the population, they would
:49:19. > :49:20.have preferred to Remain. Businesses recognise the potential
:49:21. > :49:24.opportunities but there are some very real threats and those threats
:49:25. > :49:28.are grounded in the uncertainties around people movement, and the
:49:29. > :49:36.uncertainties around trade relationships and they need
:49:37. > :49:38.resolution before can have confidence that the opportunities
:49:39. > :49:41.can be turned into reality. Theresa May set out principles in her letter
:49:42. > :49:44.which are hard to disagree with but the devil will be in the detail and
:49:45. > :49:49.the business community needs a strong voice and that strong voice
:49:50. > :49:51.could be best delivered from Northern Ireland through a
:49:52. > :49:57.functioning executive which unfortunately we do not have. You
:49:58. > :50:01.wanted to Leave, to sell goods into the EU after Brexit, we will still
:50:02. > :50:05.need tough regulations and still need to abide by the regulations
:50:06. > :50:11.that the EU have and this whole idea of the bonfire of the red tape will
:50:12. > :50:14.not materialise, will it? No, it never did materialise in our
:50:15. > :50:17.business because protectionism within the European Union, which was
:50:18. > :50:22.designed to keep everyone out, for us there was no single market. I
:50:23. > :50:27.have been travelling in the last six weeks, I have been to North America,
:50:28. > :50:32.Africa, China, they want to do business with us and those areas are
:50:33. > :50:38.expending, particularly Africa and the Middle East and the Far East. I
:50:39. > :50:43.am optimistic, I think Theresa May today, Northern Ireland featured in
:50:44. > :50:46.her letter, Michel Barnier, the chief negotiator said he would
:50:47. > :50:51.ensure there is not a hardboard, and Kenny said they would not be won,
:50:52. > :50:56.David Davis as well, I am very happy that we will not have a hard border
:50:57. > :50:59.and I will doubt if we will have any border, whatever border we have
:51:00. > :51:03.between the north and south of Ireland will be the same border that
:51:04. > :51:09.we have between England and France. We cannot have a different border.
:51:10. > :51:15.Trevor you are a Chief Executive of the farmers cooperative, do farmers
:51:16. > :51:19.see it as an opportunity to get into those markets? When you look at the
:51:20. > :51:24.agri- food industry, we have ?700 million worth of goods being traded
:51:25. > :51:28.to the Republic, 40% of the people who work full-time in those
:51:29. > :51:34.companies are EU nationals and when you look at the average
:51:35. > :51:40.profitability of food, Ms, it is 3%. If you applied WTO tariffs to the
:51:41. > :51:43.food, they range between 7% and 65% and if you are a food company in
:51:44. > :51:47.Northern Ireland with significant levels of exports, you do not need
:51:48. > :51:54.to be a mathematician to work out the threat presented by Brexit.
:51:55. > :51:56.There are real issues to be dealt with and beyond Brexit we will have
:51:57. > :52:00.to develop a new agricultural policy for the UK and we have seen so far
:52:01. > :52:05.the UK Government has been less than supportive of agriculture, so whilst
:52:06. > :52:08.there are opportunities, there are threats. You have laid out how it
:52:09. > :52:12.works for your business but what about the farmers and other
:52:13. > :52:16.businesses that will not benefit or potentially will not benefit? I
:52:17. > :52:20.think Theresa May set it out clearly. She wants free trade. If we
:52:21. > :52:24.are not going to have free trade, it will not be because the UK did not
:52:25. > :52:29.wanted, it will be because the EU stopped it and Ireland is within the
:52:30. > :52:46.EU, so I'd EU going to treat Ireland in such
:52:47. > :52:50.a way that 45% off their food exports actually go to the UK? Are
:52:51. > :52:53.at the EU going to attempt to destroy the Irish economy? I do not
:52:54. > :52:55.think so. A lot of people have talked about a special case for
:52:56. > :52:58.Northern Ireland, what we may actually see is a special case for
:52:59. > :53:01.the south of Ireland within the EU to trade with the UK. That is the
:53:02. > :53:02.direction I think we would end up going then. Thank you.
:53:03. > :53:03.It's our biggest manufacturing industry.
:53:04. > :53:05.It's said to support close to a hundred thousand jobs.
:53:06. > :53:08.Agriculture and the food sector will probably have to deal
:53:09. > :53:10.with the biggest change of all when this
:53:11. > :53:13.Our agriculture and environment correspondent Conor Macauley has
:53:14. > :53:15.been to Limavady to meet one farmer who'll be producing
:53:16. > :53:32.My father bought this farm in 1946. We are still here. Hugh McCollum was
:53:33. > :53:36.working the land here when the UK went into Europe. He says his beef
:53:37. > :53:41.operation will be more challenging after Brexit, but he will not really
:53:42. > :53:45.be sorry to see the back of the subsidies. He believes is guaranteed
:53:46. > :53:49.payments from Europe meant farmers were charged inflated prices for
:53:50. > :53:54.things like feed and fertiliser and he hopes that will change. And he
:53:55. > :53:58.concedes that local producers cannot compete with intensively produced
:53:59. > :54:03.and imported meat. They have to find another way to make their beef
:54:04. > :54:08.bounce off the shelves in much the same way as his cattle on the first
:54:09. > :54:16.day of spring grass. They are like racehorses when they get out! We are
:54:17. > :54:20.going to have to rely on the consumers and the general public.
:54:21. > :54:27.There will be a change, for the farming sector, but the general
:54:28. > :54:33.public, we over the years have developed systems, health standards,
:54:34. > :54:39.we are at the top of the tree, that is what we will have to promote to
:54:40. > :54:43.our customers. There is a big change coming for farmers, but consumers as
:54:44. > :54:46.well may soon have a choice to make. For a long time, people have been
:54:47. > :54:51.used to getting relatively cheap food and the question now is whether
:54:52. > :54:57.they would be prepared to pay extra for locally produced premium
:54:58. > :54:59.products. And that was one of the topics being considered at a
:55:00. > :55:05.conference outside Belfast this week. Which will policy favour?
:55:06. > :55:10.Would come down on the side of UK producers with costly welfare
:55:11. > :55:17.standards the side of cheap imported food, were standards may not be so
:55:18. > :55:21.rigorous? If we were to move to a liberal trading environment, with
:55:22. > :55:27.relatively low-cost imports coming in, from third countries, it would
:55:28. > :55:31.really be a difficult circle to square. It would put pressure on the
:55:32. > :55:40.industry, a big challenge in terms of maintaining its competitiveness
:55:41. > :55:44.in trading environment. Whatever about the global picture, the local
:55:45. > :55:49.trading landscape is what is interesting now. In the short-term,
:55:50. > :55:53.things like tariffs and customs controls with the Irish Republic
:55:54. > :55:56.could have an immediate impact. Particularly in sectors like dairy
:55:57. > :56:00.and sheep weather is a big cross-border trade. All the
:56:01. > :56:04.uncertainty around future subsidies and access to markets is making some
:56:05. > :56:08.farmers think very carefully about the future. In the back of the minds
:56:09. > :56:15.of farmers there is a realisation that things are going to change and
:56:16. > :56:18.things may look different and I think in our discussions around the
:56:19. > :56:21.countryside, I think we are finding that for some of the businesses,
:56:22. > :56:26.they are starting to think of where it their business might be going and
:56:27. > :56:30.can they survive in the future, whatever it may look like? Hugh
:56:31. > :56:34.McCollum believes there is a future in farming not just for him but for
:56:35. > :56:40.his son he is coming behind him. The change of, he says, will be sore at
:56:41. > :56:44.the start, but it will be the same game, just a whole new set of rules.
:56:45. > :56:46.Conor McAuley, BBC Newsline, Ballykelly.
:56:47. > :56:48.Joining me now our political editor Mark Devenport and our economics
:56:49. > :57:01.That point about agriculture that Berman Armstrong brought up, about
:57:02. > :57:05.the Republic having special status, is that a runner? I'm not sure how
:57:06. > :57:09.that will work, but what is clear is that the European Commission is
:57:10. > :57:11.taking a generous approach to the whole problem of Northern Ireland,
:57:12. > :57:14.partly because they have this emotional attachment to the peace
:57:15. > :57:18.process and they do not want anything to disrupt that but partly
:57:19. > :57:21.because the Irish Republic is still a loyal member of the European Union
:57:22. > :57:36.and they do not want to punish one of their own.
:57:37. > :57:40.That is a factor they will take into account, not just in relation to
:57:41. > :57:43.agriculture but across the broader range of concerns in terms of EU
:57:44. > :57:46.funding and the border. We still do not know how the border will work.
:57:47. > :57:49.No return to the borders of the past is what everyone says and all the
:57:50. > :57:51.main players are on the same page. They do not want to return to
:57:52. > :57:53.customs post. There has been a suggestion that there could be a
:57:54. > :57:56.situation like Norway and Sweden, but there are customs posts there
:57:57. > :57:58.are, what ever will be propose will have to be even more seamless. There
:57:59. > :58:01.has been vague talk about technology, to work this border,
:58:02. > :58:24.ultimately, what they may have to be is a realisation that they will
:58:25. > :58:27.not get a special status and the SDLP, how much pressure can they
:58:28. > :58:29.realistically exert? If you're talking about special status in the
:58:30. > :58:31.EU, the UK Government has effectively ruled that out. There
:58:32. > :58:34.are is room to negotiate about special arrangements in relation to
:58:35. > :58:38.Northern Ireland and because the European Commission is so keen not
:58:39. > :58:42.to disrupt things or see any kind of trouble flaring up in all of this, I
:58:43. > :58:48.think that there is quite a lot of scope for that. As John was saying,
:58:49. > :58:51.we had yet to see how it will be spelled-out in practice, a lot of
:58:52. > :58:56.talk of new technology, but that could take longer than the period of
:58:57. > :59:00.transition to put it in place. Should businesses be worried? Some
:59:01. > :59:06.of them should be concerned, if we get a bad deal or a deal worked
:59:07. > :59:10.tariffs would be imposed, but whatever deal we get it is highly
:59:11. > :59:12.likely that there would be more Administration. There will be a
:59:13. > :59:18.period were businesses will have to adjust and they will have to police
:59:19. > :59:21.the migration system, we will see businesses do more form filling and
:59:22. > :59:26.in some circumstances, we could end up with more red tape rather than
:59:27. > :59:30.less. Thank you. Interesting to hear your thoughts on an historic and
:59:31. > :59:32.momentous day. So, today marks a symbolic
:59:33. > :59:35.milestone, setting the UK on the road to the biggest
:59:36. > :59:37.constitutional change in a lifetime. As we've been hearing,
:59:38. > :59:40.exiting the EU will have an impact in our farms and in our factories,
:59:41. > :59:43.on our families and on our future. We've had a lot of discussion
:59:44. > :59:46.about what it might mean for the border, something that's
:59:47. > :59:48.referenced in the Prime And we have looked at some of the
:59:49. > :00:00.issues. For now, though, on the day
:00:01. > :00:04.that Article 50 became