Browse content similar to 29/03/2017. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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The official process for the UK to leave | :00:09. | :00:12. | |
After more than four decades as a member of the European Union, | :00:13. | :00:17. | |
the United Kingdom is setting off on its own path. | :00:18. | :00:20. | |
This was the moment - half an hour ago - | :00:21. | :00:23. | |
when the letter triggering Article 50 was handed over in | :00:24. | :00:26. | |
Brussels to the President of the European Council. | :00:27. | :00:31. | |
Today the Government acts on the democratic | :00:32. | :00:44. | |
We are going to take control of the things that | :00:45. | :00:47. | |
matter most to us and we are going to take this opportunity | :00:48. | :00:50. | |
a country that our children and grandchildren | :00:51. | :00:53. | |
Two years of talks now begin, with warnings from Europe's top | :00:54. | :00:57. | |
negotiator that today is "day one of a very difficult road". | :00:58. | :01:02. | |
Westminster Bridge is closed again, exactly a week after Khalid Masood | :01:03. | :01:07. | |
killed four people, as events to remember his victims are held. | :01:08. | :01:12. | |
And in sport - another successful trial of video technology | :01:13. | :01:17. | |
in international football, could see the FA introduce it | :01:18. | :01:19. | |
After 44 years as a member of the European Union, | :01:20. | :01:47. | |
the formal process to take the United Kingdom out | :01:48. | :01:49. | |
In the last hour a letter, signed by Theresa May, | :01:50. | :01:54. | |
has been handed to the President of the European Council, | :01:55. | :01:58. | |
In it she says the referendum was a "vote to restore Britains's | :01:59. | :02:02. | |
She said the UK was "leaving the European Union, | :02:03. | :02:06. | |
Our political correspondent Carole Walker reports. | :02:07. | :02:11. | |
This was the moment S the UK really began its departure from the | :02:12. | :02:19. | |
European Union. The British ambassador to the EU, Sir Tim | :02:20. | :02:23. | |
Barrow, handed the President of the European Council, to us to us Turks | :02:24. | :02:31. | |
- Donald Tusk, the letter signed by the Prime Minister, triggering the | :02:32. | :02:34. | |
Brexit negotiations. Minutes later, the Prime Minister confirmed the | :02:35. | :02:38. | |
significance of the moment. The Article 50 process is now under way | :02:39. | :02:42. | |
and in accordance with the wishes of the British people, the United | :02:43. | :02:44. | |
Kingdom is leaving the European Union. This is an disforic moment, | :02:45. | :02:53. | |
from which there can now be no turning back. -- historic moment. | :02:54. | :02:58. | |
Britain is leaving the European Union. We'll make our own decisions | :02:59. | :03:03. | |
and own laws. We'll take control of the things that matter most to us. | :03:04. | :03:06. | |
She spoke of her fierce determination to get a deal that | :03:07. | :03:09. | |
works for everyone, but acknowledged the consequences of Brexit. We know | :03:10. | :03:13. | |
that we'll lose influence over the rules that affect the European | :03:14. | :03:17. | |
economy. We know that UK companies that trade with the EU will have to | :03:18. | :03:21. | |
align with rules agreed by institutions with which we are no | :03:22. | :03:26. | |
longer a part, just as we do in other overseas markets, and we | :03:27. | :03:30. | |
accept that. However, we approach these talks constructively, | :03:31. | :03:33. | |
respectfully, and in a spirit of sincere cooperation. Earlier, she'd | :03:34. | :03:37. | |
summoned the Cabinet to Downing Street to brief them on the | :03:38. | :03:43. | |
document. REPORTER: Is no deal Bert than a bad deal -- better. Key | :03:44. | :03:47. | |
ministers had been working on a strategy for nine months. Now the | :03:48. | :03:50. | |
tough talking begins. Every negotiation is about give and take | :03:51. | :03:55. | |
on both sides. We have to go into this discussion, understanding and | :03:56. | :03:57. | |
accepting that we will have to do some give and take to get the | :03:58. | :04:02. | |
best-possible deal for Britain. Already it's deleer just how hard | :04:03. | :04:06. | |
it's going to be -- it's clear just how hard it is going to be for the | :04:07. | :04:10. | |
Prime Minister to fulfil her ambition of bringing the country | :04:11. | :04:12. | |
together. There are stark divisions in her party, in Parliament and | :04:13. | :04:16. | |
across the country. People have very different views on what they want | :04:17. | :04:21. | |
and expect from a Brexit deal. At Question Type, the SNP said Scotland | :04:22. | :04:26. | |
should be given a say at the end of the negotiations. Given that | :04:27. | :04:29. | |
everybody else will have a choice at that time... Will the people of | :04:30. | :04:37. | |
Scotland have a can choice? Now is not the time to be talking about a | :04:38. | :04:43. | |
second independence referendum. On today of all days, we should be | :04:44. | :04:48. | |
coming together as a United Kingdom, to get the best deal for Britain. | :04:49. | :04:52. | |
And other opponents are delivering their own warnings. If the Prime | :04:53. | :04:57. | |
Minister comes back with no deal she'll have failed. It is the worst | :04:58. | :05:00. | |
of all possible outcomes. We certainly wouldn't support that. But | :05:01. | :05:03. | |
pro-Brexit campaigners are upbeat about the way ahead. There'll be | :05:04. | :05:08. | |
arguments over the next two years about trade deals and fishing rights | :05:09. | :05:11. | |
but actually the big thing is - two years from now we are going to be an | :05:12. | :05:14. | |
independent self-governing nation and I couldn't be happier. So, we | :05:15. | :05:20. | |
have the Prime Minister's objective in writing. Now the work begins - to | :05:21. | :05:25. | |
get an agreement which is acceptable across the EU and across the UK. | :05:26. | :05:29. | |
So two years of formal talks are now under way, | :05:30. | :05:31. | |
negotiations which will shape the future of this country | :05:32. | :05:33. | |
But there's already been a warning from the EU's chief negotiator, | :05:34. | :05:38. | |
that today is day one of a very difficult road. | :05:39. | :05:41. | |
Here's our Europe Correspondent Damian Grammaticas. | :05:42. | :05:49. | |
After a relationship lasting 44 years, this is how it starts to end. | :05:50. | :05:55. | |
Sir Tim Barrow personally delivering Theresa May's letter. The UK's | :05:56. | :05:59. | |
permanent representative to the EU left his office this morning, his | :06:00. | :06:03. | |
mission - to serve notice to Donald Tusk of our intention to leave the | :06:04. | :06:08. | |
EU. Just a couple of minutes later he arrived at the European Council. | :06:09. | :06:12. | |
This is a step that has enormous ramifications. Formerly now the | :06:13. | :06:18. | |
clock is ticking. Two years to negotiate exit. And in his brief | :06:19. | :06:23. | |
case, the outline of the deal that Theresa May wishes to achieve to end | :06:24. | :06:27. | |
our membership of the EU. It all began over four decades ago, | :06:28. | :06:32. | |
the then Prime Minister, Ted Heath, taking the UK into what was an | :06:33. | :06:36. | |
economic community, and pledging to expand it further. The European | :06:37. | :06:45. | |
communities, far from creating barriers, have served to extend | :06:46. | :06:49. | |
East-West trade, Britain, I hope you will agree, has much to contribute | :06:50. | :06:55. | |
to this process and as members of the community, we shall be better | :06:56. | :07:00. | |
able to do so. That's exactly what Margaret Thatcher did, pressing for | :07:01. | :07:05. | |
the creation of a continent-wide single market, shaping the EU in the | :07:06. | :07:10. | |
UK's mould. After her, John Major went further, agreeing to the | :07:11. | :07:14. | |
creation of an even deeper union, a single currency, even more members | :07:15. | :07:19. | |
but opposition in the UK grew and eventually last year's referendum | :07:20. | :07:27. | |
was lost. Geoff Meade, has' covered the EU for three decades say there | :07:28. | :07:30. | |
is still concern at the heart of the EU that other nations could follow | :07:31. | :07:34. | |
the UK out There is still the fear that maybe, somehow, maybe not long | :07:35. | :07:37. | |
down the road, others will get the same idea. Although I have to say | :07:38. | :07:41. | |
I'm not aware of any Member States that thinks leaving this club is a | :07:42. | :07:47. | |
good idea. Yes changing it, yes maybe leaving the single currency | :07:48. | :07:51. | |
but leaving it it is a very, very big step. And the EU's other members | :07:52. | :07:59. | |
have moved to halt the central fewal forces, last year in very marked 50 | :08:00. | :08:06. | |
years since the EU's creation by apledging allegiance to the project, | :08:07. | :08:11. | |
determined they say it won't fail, even as the UK heads for the exit. | :08:12. | :08:25. | |
Let's speak to Norman Smith. An historic day, an historic moment for | :08:26. | :08:30. | |
the country. It is and also marks a new stage in the Brexit process. We | :08:31. | :08:33. | |
move from the rhetoric of Brexit to the reality. From the promises | :08:34. | :08:38. | |
phase, to delivery and what we saw from Theresa May today and in her | :08:39. | :08:42. | |
letter to Donald Tusk, is Theresa May wants a deal. This is Theresa | :08:43. | :08:49. | |
May not the Brexiteer warrior, but Theresa May the deal-maker. She | :08:50. | :08:53. | |
again says - if we don't get an agreement, then we will leave the EU | :08:54. | :08:57. | |
and fall back on World Trade Organisation terms, but that is not | :08:58. | :09:01. | |
what she wants. A point underlined, too, by the Chancellor, Philip | :09:02. | :09:05. | |
Hammond, who slapped down Boris Johnson's suggestion a few weeks ago | :09:06. | :09:09. | |
that it would be absolutely OK to leave without a deal. Now, the | :09:10. | :09:13. | |
outlines of what Theresa May wants, we know a lot of it. We know she | :09:14. | :09:17. | |
wants to take back control of immigration. We know we are not | :09:18. | :09:20. | |
going to be part of the single market. We know we want to end | :09:21. | :09:24. | |
jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. But in the letter, I | :09:25. | :09:28. | |
think we get a sense of some areas where Mrs May could be willing to | :09:29. | :09:34. | |
compromise. Above all, on money. She says the UK will be willing to | :09:35. | :09:39. | |
discuss our rights and obligations. In other words, money owing to the | :09:40. | :09:44. | |
EU. She also says that we would be prepared to discuss an | :09:45. | :09:46. | |
implementation period - in other words, there could be time before we | :09:47. | :09:51. | |
finally leave the EU. But any deal that Mrs May does with the EU, | :09:52. | :09:56. | |
remember, she has to come back here to Westminster and to the British | :09:57. | :09:58. | |
public to sell it. Norman, thank you. Let's go to | :09:59. | :10:04. | |
Brussels and Damian Grammaticus. I have a copy of the letter here which | :10:05. | :10:08. | |
I'm sure an awful lot of people were pouring to right now. It was only | :10:09. | :10:14. | |
handed to Donald Tusk an hour ago but has there been reaction? There | :10:15. | :10:17. | |
has. We have a copy of the letter here, too, which has just been | :10:18. | :10:22. | |
released and what has also just happened is Donald Tusk has just | :10:23. | :10:26. | |
appeared, made his first staple. In that he said he would not pretend it | :10:27. | :10:31. | |
was a happy day. -- made his first statement. | :10:32. | :10:36. | |
He said he already "misses you" to the UK and "there would be nothing | :10:37. | :10:41. | |
to win in the coming negotiations", he said it was do damage limitation | :10:42. | :10:45. | |
but he interestingly wept on to say that something positive already has | :10:46. | :10:48. | |
come from Brexit, his view was that the EU 27, the other 27 states, he | :10:49. | :10:54. | |
said, have come much closer together and forged a united position and | :10:55. | :10:58. | |
that will be the position they take into those coming negotiations. Mr | :10:59. | :11:01. | |
Tusk made one other thing very clear, too. He said that EU law will | :11:02. | :11:09. | |
continue to apply in and to the UK up until the point it leaves. So, | :11:10. | :11:15. | |
making very clear some of the UK's basic conditions, nothing changes | :11:16. | :11:22. | |
until the UK formally exists the union. So what happens now? This | :11:23. | :11:27. | |
time next month EU leaders will meet, without Theresa May to discuss | :11:28. | :11:30. | |
the next step. Negotiations could then begin in May or June. | :11:31. | :11:35. | |
But how likely is a deal within two years? | :11:36. | :11:37. | |
Our correspondent Wyre Davies reports. | :11:38. | :11:38. | |
We've had nine months to come to terms with it. The British people | :11:39. | :11:43. | |
have spoken and the answer is - we're out. And today the clock | :11:44. | :11:47. | |
really started ticking. After the shock and rancour that followed the | :11:48. | :11:51. | |
referendum, time for the warring parties in Westminster and Brussels | :11:52. | :11:55. | |
to put their differences aside. If they're to come up with a deal | :11:56. | :11:59. | |
that's in the best interests of Britain and Europe. But it won't be | :12:00. | :12:03. | |
easy. The European Council's President, | :12:04. | :12:07. | |
Donald Tusk, has promised to have a draft document ready within 48 | :12:08. | :12:13. | |
hours. But before formal talks can begin, the other 27 EU member | :12:14. | :12:17. | |
nations will have to agree on a common way forward at a special | :12:18. | :12:23. | |
summit at the end of April. With David Davis leading | :12:24. | :12:26. | |
negotiations for the UK and Michel Barnier from the European Commission | :12:27. | :12:29. | |
on the EU side, talks will kick off in late May or early June. But there | :12:30. | :12:36. | |
will be sticking points from the off, in particular, over what to | :12:37. | :12:39. | |
talk about first. Some in Brussels seem determined to make the British | :12:40. | :12:43. | |
Government pay, quite literally, perhaps as much as ?50 billion, to | :12:44. | :12:48. | |
settle its various commitments before a settlement can be reached. | :12:49. | :12:55. | |
For UK negotiators establishing future trade agreements are a | :12:56. | :13:02. | |
priority but it is insisted that any deal cannot be as good as | :13:03. | :13:07. | |
membership. We want a fair deal for the UK but that deal necessarily | :13:08. | :13:11. | |
needs to be inferior to membership. There is concern all around on the | :13:12. | :13:16. | |
status and #2350u tour rights of EU citizens living here. -- future. And | :13:17. | :13:23. | |
others living in Europe but for others, the I aboutest stumbling | :13:24. | :13:27. | |
block will be trade The idea of a fully comprehensive trade deal with | :13:28. | :13:30. | |
the EU at the end of two years I think is a big stretch. Not because | :13:31. | :13:34. | |
we can't negotiate that. It is because the EU seems to be | :13:35. | :13:37. | |
determined to re-erect trade barriers when the rest of the world | :13:38. | :13:41. | |
is trying to bring them down. With the final agreement needing to be | :13:42. | :13:44. | |
ratified by the UK Parliament, the European Parliament, and the | :13:45. | :13:49. | |
European Council, it might leave only 17 months for actual | :13:50. | :13:52. | |
negotiations. It all sounds rather a tall order, in such a short space of | :13:53. | :13:59. | |
The starting gun has been fired - the official process | :14:00. | :14:04. | |
for the UK to leave the European Union has begun. | :14:05. | :14:10. | |
We are going to take control of the things that matter most to us and we | :14:11. | :14:16. | |
are going to take this opportunity to build a stronger, fairer Britain, | :14:17. | :14:20. | |
a country that our children and grandchildren are proud to call | :14:21. | :14:20. | |
home. After a controversial cross code | :14:21. | :14:23. | |
switch from Rugby league to Union, New Zealand born winger | :14:24. | :14:27. | |
Denny Solomona pledges his international future to England | :14:28. | :14:28. | |
having qualified under residency Well it's nine months since that | :14:29. | :14:30. | |
historic day last June when the United Kingdom voted | :14:31. | :14:46. | |
to leave the European Union So as the UK starts | :14:47. | :14:51. | |
out on its own road - how are people who voted to leave | :14:52. | :14:55. | |
and to remain now feeling? We report now from two cities | :14:56. | :14:58. | |
who wanted different futures. Our correspondent Fiona Trott | :14:59. | :15:00. | |
has been to Sunderland where they voted Leave - | :15:01. | :15:02. | |
and Jon Kay is in Bristol - The SS Great Britain, built by | :15:03. | :15:21. | |
Brunel but where is Great Britain heading now. Out. Out. But here in | :15:22. | :15:27. | |
Bristol almost two thirds of voters wanted to stay in the EU. On the | :15:28. | :15:32. | |
River taxi many thought it was a bleak day. The government is | :15:33. | :15:36. | |
embarking on a journey and has no idea where it is going, it has no | :15:37. | :15:41. | |
idea what it is doing and is not in control of negotiations are now on. | :15:42. | :15:46. | |
The Brexit journey may now be underweight but among Remainer is we | :15:47. | :15:50. | |
found a sense that all is not lost. So it is going to happen. I do not | :15:51. | :15:54. | |
believe it is, I believe the narrative will change and people | :15:55. | :15:59. | |
will have their voices heard eventually. But they were heard in | :16:00. | :16:03. | |
the referendum. A very mild squeak. It was so close. It was almost | :16:04. | :16:09. | |
50-50. People may change their minds at the end of the day and then | :16:10. | :16:14. | |
Article 50 could be revoked. You're not just clinging on. It is not a | :16:15. | :16:18. | |
case of clinging on but campaigning on the things you believe in. | :16:19. | :16:22. | |
Traders have sailed into Bristol docks for centuries from all over | :16:23. | :16:27. | |
the world. This boat builder has seen orders increased since the | :16:28. | :16:30. | |
referendum due to the fall in the pound. We do not need immigration to | :16:31. | :16:35. | |
come in and take work away from the unskilled. And for John The Boss | :16:36. | :16:39. | |
this is a good day for the UK. The main reason I am pro-Brexit was | :16:40. | :16:45. | |
sovereignty and the second reason, to open up to the rest of the world. | :16:46. | :16:50. | |
Back on the ferry and Mike the skipper says it is time for both | :16:51. | :16:54. | |
sides to back the government as it steers its way through the | :16:55. | :16:59. | |
negotiations. The thing is it is now an accomplished fact and we've got | :17:00. | :17:03. | |
to get on with it. Whether we like it or not. But in this probe remains | :17:04. | :17:08. | |
city many are nervous today. And expect the next couple of years at | :17:09. | :17:09. | |
least to be tough. Welcome to the largest brewery in | :17:10. | :17:24. | |
Leeds. The team here produce 70,000 pints a week. Business began ten | :17:25. | :17:28. | |
years ago and the idea of Brexit make them nervous. But not any more. | :17:29. | :17:33. | |
The Boss believes Article 50 will make things clearer. It is going to | :17:34. | :17:39. | |
be in some ways quite nice for negotiations to begin so that | :17:40. | :17:45. | |
businesses and ordinary people across the country will actually | :17:46. | :17:49. | |
have some idea of what the vote to leave the EU is actually going to | :17:50. | :17:54. | |
look like. High on the hills in Teesdale this family are more | :17:55. | :17:58. | |
concerned for the farmers like them rely on EU subsidies and because of | :17:59. | :18:03. | |
Brexit the government has promised to match the money up until 2020. | :18:04. | :18:08. | |
But what about the following years. If we get support from the | :18:09. | :18:12. | |
government then we will still be fine here but if not, you know, we | :18:13. | :18:18. | |
will not be able to be a farm, the business will not stack up and John | :18:19. | :18:23. | |
will have to go to work elsewhere. Working elsewhere is not an option | :18:24. | :18:27. | |
these men even want to consider. They came to County Durham from | :18:28. | :18:31. | |
Poland and they have made it their home. We are just thinking do not | :18:32. | :18:37. | |
take me home, please. I've been here for five years. The fear in | :18:38. | :18:46. | |
Sunderland is this is the day most voters have been waiting for and the | :18:47. | :18:50. | |
reasons why are clear. -- here in Sunderland. I think it will be good | :18:51. | :18:53. | |
to have our own rules and regulations. We will have control of | :18:54. | :18:58. | |
the borders again and I know a lot of people want that. Outside the | :18:59. | :19:03. | |
Winter Gardens in Sunderland, a protest by remaining voters. The | :19:04. | :19:07. | |
numbers are small. That is because 61% of people here voted to leave. | :19:08. | :19:12. | |
The majority are not demonstrating, they're celebrating. | :19:13. | :19:15. | |
The implications of today are obviously huge for | :19:16. | :19:17. | |
the United Kingdom as a whole but also for the individual nations | :19:18. | :19:20. | |
of Scotland and Wales as well as for Northern Ireland. | :19:21. | :19:23. | |
Lorna Gordon is in Edinburgh, Sian Lloyd is in Cardiff | :19:24. | :19:25. | |
and Chris Buckler is on the border of Northern Ireland | :19:26. | :19:28. | |
Scotland wanted to remain in the EU. That is right for Theresa May bus | :19:29. | :19:44. | |
morning said it was her expectation the devolved government would seek a | :19:45. | :19:48. | |
significant increase in their powers as a result of the Brexit process. | :19:49. | :19:52. | |
But the potentially tricky thing for her is that 62% of people in | :19:53. | :19:56. | |
Scotland voted to remain as part of the EU and just yesterday the First | :19:57. | :20:01. | |
Minister Nicola Sturgeon got a mandate from the parliament here at | :20:02. | :20:06. | |
Holyrood to seek authorisation to hold a second independence | :20:07. | :20:09. | |
referendum. The idea that referendum opposed by the prounion parties here | :20:10. | :20:13. | |
and opposed by the government at Westminster. Their position is | :20:14. | :20:18. | |
hardening not just now is not the time but they do not believe there | :20:19. | :20:21. | |
should be a referendum until some point considerably into the future. | :20:22. | :20:25. | |
Nicola Sturgeon this morning has said her government will continue to | :20:26. | :20:29. | |
do everything that it can to make Scotland an attractive place for | :20:30. | :20:32. | |
investment in the week summer months to come but she argues that Brexit | :20:33. | :20:37. | |
would be a significant and profound change for Scotland and she insists | :20:38. | :20:42. | |
that people here must be given the chance to vote on their future, be | :20:43. | :20:47. | |
it in the UK or as an independent country before the UK leads the EU. | :20:48. | :20:57. | |
Wales voted to leave the EU by 52.5% and there is a recognition of that | :20:58. | :21:01. | |
by the First Minister Carwyn Jones when he said today that he will be | :21:02. | :21:06. | |
working with the UK Government to secure the best future for Wales, | :21:07. | :21:12. | |
that he will be looking to protect Welsh businesses, jobs and the | :21:13. | :21:19. | |
economy here. And he said that if he felt the Welsh Labour leader had | :21:20. | :21:22. | |
voiced his concerns are ready about the future of Welsh agriculture and | :21:23. | :21:26. | |
he told Assembly Members here yesterday that the current economic | :21:27. | :21:31. | |
subsidies that the sector receive may not be replaced by 2024 that the | :21:32. | :21:37. | |
leader of the Welsh Conservatives described that this morning as | :21:38. | :21:41. | |
scaremongering. He said there was no evidence of that. He said people | :21:42. | :21:45. | |
living in the most deprived communities in Wales would be | :21:46. | :21:50. | |
represented by the brightest and best in negotiating the deal. Across | :21:51. | :21:59. | |
the Irish Sea I'm standing at what will be the U:K.'s only land border | :22:00. | :22:02. | |
with another European country. One of about 260 crossings between | :22:03. | :22:06. | |
Northern Ireland and the Republic, the river is a kind of dividing | :22:07. | :22:09. | |
line. There are many connections across that not just for those who | :22:10. | :22:13. | |
visit family and friends but also even for public services, in some | :22:14. | :22:17. | |
cases health treatment and of course there is a huge amount of trade that | :22:18. | :22:21. | |
crosses the border on a regular basis. Some whether they may need to | :22:22. | :22:26. | |
be some physical presence to the border, perhaps | :22:27. | :22:42. | |
customs. Both the British and Irish governments say they want to keep | :22:43. | :22:45. | |
the roads completely open but of course that will be down to | :22:46. | :22:48. | |
negotiations. The other thing to mention is Northern Ireland, their | :22:49. | :22:50. | |
government of course has collapsed, power-sharing currently in a state | :22:51. | :22:52. | |
of a pretty bad state frankly at Stormont. As a result there is | :22:53. | :22:54. | |
concern that Northern Ireland's voice will not be heard at the top | :22:55. | :22:57. | |
table when these talks place. Irish republicans have been listening | :22:58. | :22:59. | |
closely to what has been said in Scotland about an independence | :23:00. | :23:01. | |
referendum there. They point out Northern Ireland also voted to stay | :23:02. | :23:04. | |
inside the EU and as a result there are calling for a border poll and a | :23:05. | :23:07. | |
referendum on Irish unity. Ultimately Brexit has proved | :23:08. | :23:11. | |
divisive at Stormont and will continue to have an impact on life | :23:12. | :23:12. | |
in politics here. Well as we prepare to leave, | :23:13. | :23:14. | |
one of the issues that will have to be resolved is what happens to EU | :23:15. | :23:17. | |
citizens in Britain, and British Our Europe Correspondent Gavin Lee | :23:18. | :23:20. | |
sent this from Spain. Benidorm feels a long | :23:21. | :23:26. | |
way from Brussels. But when Article 50 is triggered | :23:27. | :23:36. | |
there today it will affect the lives of hundreds of thousands of British | :23:37. | :23:39. | |
people in Spain. Whether it is for better | :23:40. | :23:45. | |
or for worse, Brexit is happening. And here on the south coast of Spain | :23:46. | :23:49. | |
where there are more British expats than anywhere else in Europe, | :23:50. | :23:52. | |
it is causing anxiety. What happens to their pensions, | :23:53. | :23:55. | |
their free access to health care and their right to stay | :23:56. | :23:57. | |
here in the years to come? At the Costa Blanca Male Voice | :23:58. | :24:00. | |
Choir, Keith Livesey is considering packing up | :24:01. | :24:08. | |
and returning to Britain Well, I gave up my | :24:09. | :24:10. | |
residency three weeks ago. So I had to go to England | :24:11. | :24:17. | |
in January and I have started But I just cannot personally see | :24:18. | :24:21. | |
the British Government giving half a billion pounds to Spain | :24:22. | :24:27. | |
so I can stay here. I am lucky, but I mean, | :24:28. | :24:32. | |
if I was put in this situation and I had to make a decision, | :24:33. | :24:39. | |
I would not go back to the UK. Along the coast, El Campeo is home | :24:40. | :24:43. | |
to many people who have adjusted Who have mixed feelings | :24:44. | :24:46. | |
on what is going on back home. I don't like being dictated | :24:47. | :24:52. | |
to by bureaucrats in Brussels I'm not very happy | :24:53. | :25:00. | |
with the immigration I'm Babs, I've lived | :25:01. | :25:08. | |
in Spain now for nine years. I worry mainly for my health care | :25:09. | :25:12. | |
and I worry about my pension and I also worry that we will be | :25:13. | :25:18. | |
losing many, many friends Both British and EU negotiators say | :25:19. | :25:21. | |
they want the issues of the future of Europeans in the UK and Brits | :25:22. | :25:30. | |
in Europe to be one A view reflected here too | :25:31. | :25:33. | |
for the Brits on the other Gavin Lee, BBC News, | :25:34. | :25:38. | |
on the Costa Blanca, Spain. Almost exactly a week ago Khalid | :25:39. | :25:57. | |
Masood drove at high speed across the Westminster Bridge behind me | :25:58. | :26:00. | |
before fatally stabbing a police officer. Well at the time of the | :26:01. | :26:04. | |
attack people will gather on the bridge from a minutes silence. | :26:05. | :26:06. | |
Meanwhile inquests have been opened into the deaths of the four people | :26:07. | :26:10. | |
who were killed. Richard Lister is that Westminster coroner 's Court. | :26:11. | :26:17. | |
The coroner Fiona Wilcox began by acknowledging how difficult this | :26:18. | :26:19. | |
must be for the families of those killed last week. There were | :26:20. | :26:24. | |
emotional scenes in court as the causes of death were rather for each | :26:25. | :26:27. | |
of the victims. Aysha Frade who was a mother of two, 75-year-old Leslie | :26:28. | :26:31. | |
Rhodes from south London, an American tourist Kurt Cochran, who | :26:32. | :26:39. | |
was 54 and of course PC Keith Palmer killed by Kalamazoo at the gates of | :26:40. | :26:42. | |
Parliament. The inquest has now been adjourned until the 25th of April, | :26:43. | :26:47. | |
there will be a separate inquest opening tomorrow into Kalamazoo. Now | :26:48. | :26:51. | |
the BBC has spoken to the man who employed Khalid Masood and said he | :26:52. | :26:54. | |
was a popular teacher and he thought he had put his violent past behind | :26:55. | :26:56. | |
him. Khalid Masood, who killed | :26:57. | :26:59. | |
and caused horrific injuries. A man who here in Luton taught | :27:00. | :27:01. | |
English as a foreign language. How his former boss, Farasat, | :27:02. | :27:05. | |
who didn't want to show his It took me about a day | :27:06. | :27:12. | |
before it dawned on me that it was actually him | :27:13. | :27:18. | |
who did the crime. I was bewildered, shocked, angry, | :27:19. | :27:20. | |
in disbelief, really. What did he do, what were his | :27:21. | :27:22. | |
habits, where did he go? I only knew him in | :27:23. | :27:28. | |
the office environment. He would come in, he would teach, | :27:29. | :27:31. | |
pop into my office for a cup He spoke a little | :27:32. | :27:35. | |
bit about his past. Farasat told us Masood prayed | :27:36. | :27:38. | |
during his lunch hour. A practising Muslim, | :27:39. | :27:42. | |
but he wasn't an extremist. His period in Luton and before, | :27:43. | :27:48. | |
he wasn't a radical. In prison, in Saudi Arabia, | :27:49. | :27:52. | |
and in the period he spent in Luton. If he was, I definitely would have | :27:53. | :27:55. | |
identified those signs. Once again a town defending itself | :27:56. | :27:57. | |
against links with terrorism. But if Masood was radicalised, | :27:58. | :28:02. | |
prominent voices within this The inquest was brought forward by | :28:03. | :28:20. | |
one hour to allow the families of those killed to take part in a | :28:21. | :28:23. | |
ceremony on Westminster Bridge this afternoon. You can see the bridge | :28:24. | :28:29. | |
here, it will be closed ( to allow community organisations, religious | :28:30. | :28:32. | |
groups and police officers to join hands right across the length of the | :28:33. | :28:36. | |
bridge in a demonstration of unity. And after that there will be a | :28:37. | :28:41. | |
minute of silence, that will start at 2:40pm, just moments before | :28:42. | :28:45. | |
Khalid Masood began bad drive across the bridge with such terrible | :28:46. | :28:48. | |
consequences. -- that drive. Almost it from us - | :28:49. | :28:50. | |
but let's get a last word from our europe correspondent | :28:51. | :28:53. | |
Damian Grammaticus in Brussles Norman, you have had a look at this | :28:54. | :29:03. | |
letter sent by the Prime Minister to Donald Tusk in Brussels, what stands | :29:04. | :29:08. | |
out for you? Much of it is familiar, no surprises. We will be leaving the | :29:09. | :29:13. | |
single market, Theresa May wants an early deal on EU nationals, but what | :29:14. | :29:19. | |
is really striking is the tone of this letter. This is not a red | :29:20. | :29:24. | |
letter, a final warning letter demanding this, threatening that. It | :29:25. | :29:29. | |
is an emollient, considered chic and even friendly letter. Just to give | :29:30. | :29:33. | |
you a couple of the phrases. Theresa May talks about a deep and special | :29:34. | :29:37. | |
partnership, we hope to enjoy, as your closest friend and neighbour. | :29:38. | :29:43. | |
And then a separate section, she goes on to say, we want to make sure | :29:44. | :29:48. | |
that Europe remain strong and prosperous and is capable of | :29:49. | :29:52. | |
projecting its values. Leading in the world and defending itself from | :29:53. | :29:56. | |
security threats. That is a letter which is much harder for European | :29:57. | :30:01. | |
leaders to reject. Secondly, interesting what is not in the | :30:02. | :30:04. | |
letter. No mention of the customs union. No mention of the European | :30:05. | :30:09. | |
Court, no mention of immigration. Could those be areas where Theresa | :30:10. | :30:15. | |
May is prepared to compromise M and Damon grammatical is in Brussels, | :30:16. | :30:19. | |
tough language already coming from Brussels. Nothing to win here for | :30:20. | :30:23. | |
the UK is the message they're giving today. Exactly. I was telling you | :30:24. | :30:29. | |
earlier that Donald Tusk and made some remarks, we now have heard from | :30:30. | :30:35. | |
him and this is what he had to say. So here it is, six pages. The | :30:36. | :30:45. | |
notification from Prime Minister Theresa May triggering Article 50. | :30:46. | :30:52. | |
And formally starting the negotiations of the United Kingdom's | :30:53. | :30:59. | |
withdrawal from the European Union. There is no reason to pretend that | :31:00. | :31:04. | |
this is a happy day. Neither in Brussels nor in London. And of | :31:05. | :31:13. | |
course the interesting thing I think as Norman was saying, the tone of | :31:14. | :31:17. | |
this letter, very different from the speech Theresa May gave back in | :31:18. | :31:20. | |
January. That will be picked up on by European leaders here, Theresa | :31:21. | :31:25. | |
May saying the referendum was not an attempt to do harm to the European | :31:26. | :31:29. | |
Union, the UK once the European Union to succeed. All of that will | :31:30. | :31:34. | |
be well received. But what Donald Tusk also said in his comments, he | :31:35. | :31:38. | |
feels EU countries are more united than ever in their response to | :31:39. | :31:44. | |
Brexit and that I think is what we will see, United 27 now beginning | :31:45. | :31:50. | |
the process of negotiating the UK. And just to let you know Andrew | :31:51. | :31:56. | |
Neill will be interviewing the Prime Minister on Britain and the EU, the | :31:57. | :31:59. | |
Brexit interviews, that is tonight on BBC One at seven o'clock. And | :32:00. | :32:03. | |
full coverage throughout the afternoon of | :32:04. | :32:04. | |
Here's Phil Avery in the BBC Weather Centre. | :32:05. | :32:13. | |
Not very much of this sort of thing going on across the British Isles | :32:14. | :32:18. | |
nor indeed across the western side of Europe just at the moment. It is | :32:19. | :32:25. | |
fairly cloudy for many of our correspondence, many of you and that | :32:26. | :32:28. | |
has been captured wonderfully yet again by the Weather Watchers. Here | :32:29. | :32:31. | |
again in Rotherham, rather cloudy and the cloud has got enough about | :32:32. | :32:37. | |
it across western areas for some moderate bursts of rain. And indeed | :32:38. | :32:45. | |
later on this afternoon some of the rain will be reaching up into the | :32:46. | :32:56. | |
Isle of Skye. Just clipping into the eastern side of Northern Ireland but | :32:57. | :33:01. | |
some drier weather further west. But the rainfall totals beginning to | :33:02. | :33:04. | |
mount up across the Brecon Beacons and far west of Cornwall. Generally | :33:05. | :33:11. | |
speaking the south east Midlands, a brighter picture for some. Through | :33:12. | :33:15. | |
the evening and overnight, quite a burst of rain up across the greater | :33:16. | :33:19. | |
part of northern England and across Scotland as well. Enough crowd and | :33:20. | :33:22. | |
southerly breeze coming on behind for it to be not a cold night by any | :33:23. | :33:27. | |
means. These are the kind of values we would expect to see by day at | :33:28. | :33:30. | |
this time of year. But on Thursday the same kind of flight path for the | :33:31. | :33:37. | |
heaviest of the rain. Up into the borders of Scotland and beyond. But | :33:38. | :33:42. | |
in the south-eastern quarter is probably the warmest day of the year | :33:43. | :33:46. | |
so far and we could be pushing towards 20, 20 1 degrees. And even | :33:47. | :33:51. | |
underneath the cloud and rain temperature is well above average | :33:52. | :33:56. | |
for the time of year. By Friday, low pressure close by to the western and | :33:57. | :34:01. | |
southern Scotland, gradually drifting further north with time. | :34:02. | :34:05. | |
Brighter skies further south, a fresh appeal but still temperature | :34:06. | :34:09. | |
is above average. Then on into Saturday, a bit of a north-west | :34:10. | :34:14. | |
breeze, plenty of showers on the breeze as well. But then Saturday | :34:15. | :34:18. | |
and into Sunday, the ridge of high pressure really building in, | :34:19. | :34:21. | |
dominating the weather across the British Isles. So no escaping the | :34:22. | :34:26. | |
fact that Saturday will be a day of showers. And if you escape those you | :34:27. | :34:30. | |
will be doing well. But come Sunday, with a high pressure building in, it | :34:31. | :34:35. | |
will be a much drier and brighter affair across many parts of the | :34:36. | :34:38. | |
British Isles and the even extend that into the start of next week. | :34:39. | :34:41. | |
A reminder of our main story this lunchtime. | :34:42. | :34:43. | |
The starting gun has been fired - the official process | :34:44. | :34:45. | |
for the UK to leave the European Union has begun. | :34:46. | :34:56. | |
We're going to take control of the things that matter most to us and | :34:57. | :35:02. | |
take this opportunity to build a stronger, fairer Britain, a country | :35:03. | :35:05. | |
that our children and grandchildren are proud to call home. | :35:06. | :35:07. | |
That's all from the BBC News at One - so it's goodbye from me - | :35:08. | :35:08. |