is the eu ready to deal with potential brexit chaos? danuta hubner in brussels, welcome to hardtalk. welcome to you as well. i talked about the fateful decision facing the british parliament, how closely are you and others at the heart of power in brussels watching the events unfold in the uk right now? well, we have been, i think, watching i can say safely what's going on in the uk from the very beginning from this announcement back many years ago of the future referendum, then also the deal with mr cameron in february 2016 and then, of course, the referendum, which was a big, bad surprise to me personally. then, of course, the notification and then we organised ourselves in the parliament in such a way that we could not only follow, but also contribute to the negotiations. we have been also briefed basically weekly by michel barnier, the chief eu negotiator on the progress in the negotiations, on the challenges in the negotiations. we have involved through a special structure, which is called brexit steering group, we have involved al

with the eu. it covers trade, security and foreign affairs. but it is not legally binding and still needs signing off by the other 27 eu leaders. here are the main points. the 26—page document outlines plans for an ambitious economic partnership between the uk and the eu. it says the uk will be allowed to pursue an independent trade policy with other countries. it says brexit will end the free movement of eu citizens wanting to come and live in the uk, but that will also apply to british citizens wanting to move to the eu. and on the issue that's caused much concern — the efforts to stop a hard border between ireland and northern ireland — it says they'll work on new technology to ensure that doesn't happen. but the european court ofjustice will still play a role in uk affairs, which many brexiteers are unhappy about. and this afternoon, the prime minister faced widespread criticism in the commons as she defended her draft brexit deal. here's our deputy political editorjohn pienaar. here she

we're watching european union leaders arrive at eu headquarters. you saw just a few moments ago the french president emmanuel macron arriving a short time ago. he and other leaders there are there to either accept or reject the terms by which the u.k. will leave the eu after 45 years. >> it is a somber occasion often described as a divorce. and just like a divorce there's a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety about the future, especially what happens to brexit in the u.k. parliament. european commission president jean claude yonkers found optimism on that point. >> this divorce treaty is expected to get the backing of the eu 27. is this straightforward as being a rubber stamped issue or is there a possibility of a surprise from any of these heads of state as we move ahead in this process? >> reporter: well, george, we are expecting all 27 eu leaders to endorse this deal now that spain has withdrawn its 11th hour threat to boycott the summit. we understand that the spanish prime minister pedro sanchez, has arrived today, although none of these lea

is the eu ready to deal with potential brexit chaos? danuta hubner in brussels, welcome to hardtalk. welcome to you as well. i talked about the fateful decision facing british parliament, how closely are you and others at the heart of power in brussels watching the events unfold in the uk right now? well, we have been, i think, watching i can say safely what's going on in the uk from the very beginning from this announcement back many years ago of the future referendum, then also the deal with mr cameron in february 2016 and then, of course, the referendum, which was a big, bad surprise to me personally. then, of course, the notification and then we organised ourselves in the parliament in such a way that we could not only follow, but also contribute to the negotiations. we have been also briefed basically weekly by michel barnier, the chief eu negotiator on the progress in the negotiations, on the challenges in the negotiations. we have involved through a special structure, which is called brexit steering group, we have involved all fi

ambassadors has broken up meeting of eu ambassadors has broken up here in brussels, so the eu ambassadors were being briefed by sabine they aren't, who is michel barnier‘s deputy, and there was a fairly well crafted choreography under way that the ambassadors in brussels would be given a signal that the deal had been approved in the cabinet, that theresa may had a mandate, and then in turn the eu ambassadors who represent 27 members would take a line on the text and say what they think about it, and what should happen next, so if the signals from london are correct, but there isn't going to be a statement from theresa may, and that is not confirmed yet, but these are reports, then it would kind of makes sense that that meeting in brussels has broken up obviously because there hasn't been a signal from downing street, so i suppose the omens are not great at the moment. what you make of the dynamics of the deal as we understand them, tony, and especially in the northern ireland context, with this notion of some kind of close or deeper relationship setting it aside from the rest of the uk?

the uk was never a happy enthusiastic member of the eu. 0nce happy enthusiastic member of the eu. once the uk have gone, surely you are free to have an eu are meeting oi’ are free to have an eu are meeting orany are free to have an eu are meeting or any other things the uk were standing in the way of?” or any other things the uk were standing in the way of? i always appreciated, the prime minister, the british sense of pragmatism. it was a gift given by britain to the eu, down to earth, common sense. we will miss that, but it was a decision of the british people believe. former president of the european mission —— commission talking in brussels. also in brussels is gavin lee. presumably in this stage in a sense, much harder work lies ahead? it does, what is fascinating about today was a moment, if not for the effect of the uncertainty of a few days' time, this vote that might not go through, the real historic point in the road map, after 2.5 years since the referendum voted, which 52% of the british population voted to leave, 18 months of negotiations have come damned insi

welsh exports to the eu market are 1196 welsh exports to the eu market are 11% higher than the uk average stock then there is welsh ports, lots of freight goes between wales and the irish republic. that means the hard—boiled is very important —— the ha rd hard—boiled is very important —— the hard border is very important to wales. the number of hgvs which go from the republic of ireland —— a high number of hgvs goes from the republic of ireland to other parts of europe through wales. that gives you an idea of the importance. ca rwyn you an idea of the importance. carwyn jones has you an idea of the importance. carwynjones has called on the prime minister to stare down the brexit extremist and keep the uk in the single market and the customs union. thank you very much indeed. we can get the latest on all of this from brussels. 0ur correspondent is there. we know the eu ambassadors are meeting today. there has to be political sign off on this proposed agreement here in london, but also in brussels and among the other eu 27. that's right. everyone here is taking a big intake

intent of eu- uk that political declaration of intent of eu— uk future relationship. it is just a load of bullet points at the moment. careful choreography than —— that could be destroyed by big political problems on either side. here, all eyes are on the uk. 0ne eu civil servant pointed at the agreement that tonight and said, all of this could end up in the bin. thank you very much indeed. katya adler in brussels. the 500 page document was published by the eu this evening. a shorter statement, setting out what the uk and eu's future relations will look like, has also been drawn up. but criticism of the draft agreement has focused on the means of avoiding a hard border between northern ireland and the republic, and on the uk's potential exposure to eu rules, for years to come. let'sjoin chris morris, of the bbc‘s reality check, who's been looking at the detail. the draft withdrawal agreement is a big document. but it's all about how we leave the european union, it's not about our long term future relationship. if everyone approves it — a big if — it means th

to go to the eu. it also envisages there would be no visas on either side, so don't worry about your holidays. long term there could be visas but that has to be negotiated. transport, a whole series of things, transport, energy, what happens to data, all of these things need to be negotiated because it's about the entire future relationship and those who say this is a blind brexit, the problem is we don't really know, nobody can guarantee how these negotiations will end up. i don't think it's blind but it is foggy because nobody can see clearly where it might end up. the thing which a lwa ys it might end up. the thing which always turns up in this document is the level playing field, those within the brexit camp would prefer the uk to be a singapore style economy with low taxation and low regulation, does this tie the uk to the regulations we are already tied to? there's a lot about level playing field in the political declaration and then one of the additional documents. itjust declaration and then o

abides by the eu paraffin gets to trade on the same basis as now. —— the eu paris. a solution to the irish border would have to be accepted by both sides and it is for the future trading relationship to negotiate. if they found a way to manage the future trading relationship that both sides agree avoids the need for a hard border in the island of ireland, then we can leave the customs territory and the customs union. we could also... a different government could also decide to leave that by doing what the eu suggested a long time ago, which was leave northern ireland in the customs territory and the rest of great britain leave, but as we know the prime minister ruled that out. a lot of questions left open on that particular issue. and if that question. then another question from henry, who asks, what will it mean for british citizens‘ freedom of travel and rights to live and work on the continent? good question. there are a few things and freedom of movement as we know it now, which broadly gives eu citizens the right to work in any and live in any other eu countr

you have two follow eu regulations. you have partly explained it, but on this phrase, level playing field, which even if you months ago, we did not hear that often, but we are now hearing every few minutes. explain exactly what the eu means when they keep saying this? by allowing the uk to have this customs union arrangement, it means the uk can export quota free and tariff free into the eu. eu companies are then saying, on a minute, the uk then has to follow the same rules we do, otherwise it has an unfair advantage. that means things like environmental rules, workers rules, social rights, all sorts of rules that ensure fair competition between uk and eu companies. in the uk context we have emphasised thatjust because theresa may wants this to happen does not mean it will necessarily get parliamentary support. in a european context, if jean—claude juncker says this is decisive progress, if michel barnier says this is decisive process, do you anticipate the european union coming behind the idea? yes, i think thatis co

up to the special eu council meeting on sunday. not many cheerleaders for this plan. she did the job herself. the british people want this to be settled. they want a good deal that sets us on course for a brighter future. that deal is within our grasp, and i am determined to deliver it. so, the wheels haven't come off, not yet anyway. up ahead, her critics were waiting. brexiteers, former remainers, who also think britain is heading blindly into a weaker position with no time limit, and the opposition, all keen to stop mrs may in her tracks. the brexit divorce deal is already being opposed on all sides. the declaration on the future, presented today, promises to build and improve on a customs territory brexiteers say is too close to the eu they're anxious to leave. it says technology will be considered to help avoid physical stops and checks on trade crossing the irish border. but that is on top of a customs deal and not instead of it, and the european court would keep the last say on legal disputes on matters of eu law, and the br

asi might be the best endeavours of the eu. as i always say, you plan for the worst and talk for the best. we are at the moment it appears planning for the best and hoping that at that happened and it doesn't work like that. time and time again, in 26 years here, i have listened to reassu ra nces in 26 years here, i have listened to reassurances from governments of the labour party or the conservatives about things that won't happen, undertakings they have had, the best endeavours of the eu, and every single time we have ended up getting outvoted, getting changes made, and they are heading to a different destination of a centralised europe and we are simply not in a position to binders us back into that. that's why it is really important we get this legal status completely changed so that we don't end up being bound into this vassalage to the eu, which is what the backstop amounts to. as of the premise refuses us, she has one, what do you say and do?m of the premise refuses us, she has one, what do you say and do? if they lose

on the eu side, the eu 27 countries will wait to see. their ambassadors have a meeting in brussels tomorrow evening at about this time when they will get their full briefing from michel barnier‘s negotiating team. if this appears an a cce pta ble negotiating team. if this appears an acceptable in london it will pass to the eu 27 capitals for their comments. a lot of toing and froing to go. a point about the last few days of negotiations, pretty intense as we've reported. has there been any hint about how these issues have been resolved, notably the irish border? what's interesting here is that all the talk on this has been that all the talk on this has been that the focus had moved on to the uk's idea of a customs union arrangement for the whole of the uk asa arrangement for the whole of the uk as a way of avoiding that border in ireland between ireland and northern ireland. what the irish broadcaster rte has been saying over the last hour is that the understanding is that that has worked its way into this exit agreement, the idea of a

of course the eu will say this will not be renegotiated. politically, if you think about that rather than the practicalities, both sides feel they cannot move any further and that is when the deal becomes stuck but if you listen to the critics, the opposition parties, tory backbenchers, they are still, even after the summit, pushing for the deal to be reopened for a renegotiation. they think they have this window of opportunity between now and the parliamentary vote to try to persuade the government that they will not win this so their only chanceis they will not win this so their only chance is to go back to the eu. it is all to play for on all sides at the moment and it is impossible to tell day by day how those dynamics and parliamentary numbers will shift. you would not put any money on it? absolutely not! thank you. let's have a brief look at some of the day's other news. a man has been charged with the attempted murder of a police officer after a knife attack in east london. the incident happened at ilford railway station on friday ni

other recent eu agreement. it would secure new arrangements for our financial services sector, ensuring that market access cannot be withdrawn on a whim, and providing stability and certainty for our world leading industry. we would also have a cutting edge game and on digital, helping to facilitate e—commerce and reduce unjustified barriers to trade by electronic means. there would be strong rules in place to keep trade fairand ensure strong rules in place to keep trade fair and ensure that neither side can unfairly subsidise their industries against the other. a text we have agreed with the european commission also includes a new security partnership, with a close relationship on defence and tackling crime and terrorism to keep our people safe. there would be a surrender agreement to bring candles to justice, no matter surrender agreement to bring candles tojustice, no matter where in europe they break the law. —— bring a criminal is to justice. europe they break the law. —— bring a criminal is toju

nhs relies on eu workers and depends on eu research and medicine collaboration. how is this deal better to the nhs than no brexit? >> i say to the honorable gentleman first of all that the bush people voted to leave the european union and we have a duty to deliver on beating the european union. if he is concerned about the future of the national health service and hope he supports the significant decisions that this government has taken to make the biggest injection of funding into our national service in its history with her multi-your funding program over 80 billion pounds more going into the national service in the ten year plan. >> prime minister, thank you. colleagues, thank you. [shouting] >> order. i'll take the honorable gentleman point of order mitchell to what we've been discussing but but i do then wo proceed, thank you, to this statement. void of order, , mr. neil gray. >> mr. speaker, on a point of order it was suggested this morning on rigorous column by the honorable member from carden and later confirmed by the member that the concert members of t

we are a huge net contributor to the eu. ithink we are a huge net contributor to the eu. i think we don't often talk enough about the impact that our sleeving is going to have on the eu's finances. it is going to leave a huge hole in their budget. and so this looks on the surface like a generous gesture, don't rush, it is fine, you can stay with us for another couple of years. but keep handing over the cash, and that will kind of help the eu to deal with its own budgetary problems. this is an attack on the brexiteers, as well, because they are saying the eu are... we are going to be rule takers, not rulemakers, so we are having to pay more of that money into the eu budget, but we will have no say in it, as well, and what barnier maybe miss —— mischievously let out today is that we are talking to the uk government about what is happening after the withdrawal agreement, and the likes of boris johnson saying why are we paying £39 billion to the eu in the divorce settlement, but what will we get back? give us some meat on the bone here. so this will provoke the brexiteer

i don't want to leave the eu,i as well. i don't want to leave the eu, iam as well. i don't want to leave the eu, i am quite clear about that, but if the uk is leaving and we are part of that, i want at the very least for us to remain in the single market and the customs union, and free movement, we have demographic challenges, and we have been enriched by migration into scotland, andi enriched by migration into scotland, and i want to make sure our industries, agricultural industries, tourism, the health service and so on, have the opportunity to attract people. our view is we have a devolved parliament in edinburgh, we need to make sure we can speak up and affect this debate and get things that the people of scotland want. on the point, i will be asking eve ryo ne want. on the point, i will be asking everyone who comes here denied, eve ryo ne everyone who comes here denied, everyone on the opposite benches safe there is no majority for no—deal, we need a second referendum — how do you get there? nobody satisfactorily answers that question. the prime minister ha

the draft agreement delivered by the eu this evening i’u ns delivered by the eu this evening ru ns to delivered by the eu this evening runs to 500 pages. they say it represents decisive progress. and at 11:30pm we will look at the papers with our reviewers lance price and charles kenningham, so stay with us for that. good evening. charles kenningham, so stay with us forthat. good evening. it charles kenningham, so stay with us for that. good evening. it was one of the most significant cabinet meetings of modern times when ministers decided to support theresa may's plans for leaving the eu. it took five hours of intense debate for the cabinet to reach that decision, but the outcome is already underfire from decision, but the outcome is already under fire from both sides of the brexit debate with some mps complaining that the uk could be tied to eu rules for years to come. the prime minister has warned that this draft withdrawal agreement is the best on offer. it is set to be put to mps before christmas, but there is no certainty that it will be approved by the house of commons. we star

withdrawalfrom the eu. we agreed the terms of the uk's withdrawal from the eu. we also agreed a draft outline of the political declaration on the future relationship between the uk and eu. both documents were the result of many hours of negotiation between the united kingdom and the european union. together they represented a decisive breakthrough but they are not the final deal. we now have an intense week of negotiations ahead of us in the run—up to the european council on sunday. during that time i expect us to hammer out the full and final details of the framework that will underpin our future relationship and i am confident we can strike a deal at council and i can strike a deal at council and i can take it back to the house of commons. the core elements are already in place. the withdrawal agreement has been agreed in full subject of course to final agreement being reached on the future framework. that agreement is a good one for the uk. it fulfils the wishes of the british people as expressed in th

is the eu ready to deal with potential brexit chaos? danuta hubner in brussels, welcome to hardtalk. welcome to you as well. i talked about the fateful decision facing british parliament, how closely are you and others at the heart of power in brussels, watching the events unfold in the uk right now? well, we have him, i think, watching safely what is going on in the uk from the very beginning from this announcement made years ago for the future referendum, then dealing with mr cameron in february 2016 and then of course, the referendum which was a big, bad surprise to me personally. then the notification and we organise ourselves in the parliament in such a way that it could not only follow, but also contribute to the negotiations. we have been also briefed basically weekly by michel barnier, chief eu negotiator on progress on the negotiations, the challenges on the negotiations. we have evolved through a special structure called brexit steering group, involving five major political group in european parliament in this process of being

the eu warns britain will not have any decision—making role in the eu's foreign and security policy, despite promises in the political declaration of flexible consultation and meetings at ministerial and senior level. the warning comes following confirmed by cyprus that any privileged access for the uk to the eu's foreign and security policy would set a precedent for turkey. a fabulous example of how complicated this is and how other countries look to their own interests and see if are there any precedents in there which might do damage to what they see as their national interests. we know cyprus is obsessed with turkey. i was based in turkey forfour years. is obsessed with turkey. i was based in turkey for four years. cyprus's mentorship of the european union is largely involved with making sure that turkey is kept at arm ‘s length, as long as it continues to hold the northern part of the island. here is an example of where one country can hold up these things. how can you not be involved in the making of security and foreign policy when you have air force bases and cyprus? hazard

ten proposed by the uk and ten from the eu -- proposed by the uk and ten from the eu —— european union and five from both sides to serve on the panel, to deal with disputes. and that is the nature of it and what sorts of disputes with they look at willoughby trade dispute or alignment related dispute and regressive financial services, people sitting on the the board will be hopefully independent beyond doubt, possessing relevant qualifications, so it's sort of a court within a court if you would like, a cloud within a cloud, and obviously in terms of any dispute involving aspects of eu law that needs interpreting, that'll be the ecj'sjob, needs interpreting, that'll be the ecj's job, there's no needs interpreting, that'll be the ecj'sjob, there's no getting out of that so there is a win for the eu in a sense because the umpire, he himself will be the ecj, it's a bit ofa win himself will be the ecj, it's a bit of a win for theresa made to some it's the same we have to have something separate there's a new legal tear if you'd like in times of the arbiter of mechanism that added. we're ti

to the eu in 2017. the draft agreement says the eu would work with the uk to agree a trade deal in order to avoid physical checks on goods at the border. if talks fail, the so—called "backstop" measure would be used to keep the border open. the uk's biggest eu trading partners — like france and germany — have also had worries over the maintenance of so—called "level playing fields" on competition, state aid, employment, environmental standards and tax. this would ensure that uk businesses don't undercut eu industry. and the draft agreement gives london's financial centre only a basic level of access to the eu's markets similar to that enjoyed by us and japanese firms. it would be based on the eu's existing system of financial market access known as "equivalence" — a watered—down relationship that brussels has said all along was the best arrangement that britain can expect. joining us from brussels is pieter cleppe, head of the brussels 0ffice at the open europe think tank. good to see you ag

eu 27 market. for competition to be open and fair in such a single customs territory, we had agreed provisions on state aid, competition, taxation, social and environmental standards. this will agree that both eu and uk manufacturing will compete on a level playing field. an essential condition for the single customs territory to cover agricultural products will be to agreed between the union and uk on access to waters and fishing properties. as a rule, the backstop shows that we have been able to find common ground and meet our common objectives. number one, to protect the good friday agreement in all its time —— in all its time mentions. number two, to preserve the integrity of the eu ‘s single markets, and ireland's place in it. three, to respect the uk's territory and constitutional order. four, to protect the common area between ireland and the uk. finally, let me repeat, this backstop is not meant to be used. our objective remains to reach a new agreement between the eu and the uk befor

negotiating the withdrawal of the uk from the eu after a0 yea rs withdrawal of the uk from the eu after a0 years and building from the ground upa after a0 years and building from the ground up a new and enduring relationship for the good of our children and grandchildren is a matter of the highest consequence. my matter of the highest consequence. my approach throughout has been to put the national interest first. i do notjudge harshly those of my collea g u es do notjudge harshly those of my colleagues who seek to do the same but he reached a different conclusion will stop i am sorry they have chosen to leave the government andi have chosen to leave the government and i thank them for their service. i believe with every fibre of my being that the course i have set out is right for our country and all our people. is it not the case that you are now in office but not in power? i will do myjob of getting the best dealfor britain. i will do myjob of getting a deal in the national interest. when the vote comes before the house of commons mps will be doing theirjobs. will i be seeing this th

the cost of leaving the eu on the terms of the brexiteers cannot be the undermining of the eu. it is the assumption... labour had six tests that said they would not accept the deal unless it was as good as what we have now. but the european research group is trying to get us into a position of no deal, trying to drive us to, because they do not have a plan, an alternative to theresa may's plan. i don't think thatis theresa may's plan. i don't think that is entirely fair. i am a moderate brexiteer but there are certain things in the deal i think our unthinkable for a sovereign nation to agree to. the arrangement on customs union is almost unprecedented in international law. even lord faulkner, —— falconer says you cannot have an arrangement that either parties cannot give notice from. if the talks on the future relationship to not work, and i do not trust the british government to negotiate a positive outcome, if that happens. sale, britain falls into an endless —— if those clocks fail -- into an endless —— if those clocks fail —— talks fail, britain falls into a

the eu will continue to set oui’ policy. the eu will continue to set ourframe and policy. the eu will continue to set our frame and policy for trade as we are in the customs territory. as trump said this morning, this is a good dealfor the eu but it won't facilitate uk trade deals for countries outside the eu, such as the us. with respect, you don't know that she don't have a future trade relationship that will ultimately be negotiated in the second phase of this between britain and the eu. you don't know how free britain's deals will be with other countries. there are some basic realities here, the eu isa are some basic realities here, the eu is a market that is five times the size of the uk's. we will need to negotiate access to that market and part of the whole package of our future relationship that is foreshadowed in the political declaration is that the provision for our membership of the civil customs tariff or will be at the very heart of it. the eu will shape oui’ very heart of it. the eu will shape our trade policy and that is why president trump is essentially

up to the special eu council meeting on sunday. not many cheerleaders for this plan. she did the job herself. the british people want this to be settled. they want a good deal that sets us on course for a brighter future. that deal is within our grasp, and i am determined to deliver it. so, the wheels haven't come off, not yet anyway. up ahead, her critics were waiting. brexiteers, former remainers, who also think britain is heading blindly into a weaker position with no time limit, and the opposition, all keen to stop mrs may in her tracks. the brexit divorce deal is already being opposed on all sides. the declaration on the future, presented today, promises to build and improve on a customs territory brexiteers say is too close to the eu they're anxious to leave. it says technology will be considered to help avoid physical stops and checks on trade crossing the irish border. but that is on top of a customs deal and not instead of it, and the european court would keep the last say on legal disputes on matters of eu law, and the br

well, i'm not going to advocate staying in the eu but if you just presented me terms, this deal or eu membership, because we'd effectively be bound by the same rules but without the control or voice over them, yes, i think this would be even worse than that. i declare this brexit minimart open! a stunt to suggest brexit could come at a cost. more on the labour side are buying into the idea of a fresh referendum. what i'd like to do, ideally of course, is have a general election so we can vote this shower out. i speak as a labour politician. if we can't have that option, i think, you know, the british public, for the first time, for the first time should have a say whether they accept the outcome of these negotiations, with the option of staying in the eu. the odds are that a large number of mps on all sides are stacked up against theresa may's brexit plan. today she is insisting if her plan is defeated in the commons, there is no chance of getting a better one. but tory brexiteers, including some in cabinet, disagree. they may not want a leader who is convinced they have no chance of

it is a capitulation to the eu. we are crawling all over it because we know very well what exactly it does mean and for example on the european court, the idea the european court is not going to have a massive amount of info into the withdrawal agreement is completely wrong. he is right, third do not seem to be the numbers in the house of commons and the lib dems will oppose it, labour will oppose it, and plenty of conservative mps will vote against it as well. the prime minister has said today that we are leaving on march the 29th so what do you do if you want to stop that whatever is immediate? the prime minister said all sorts of things and then has gone back on her word. today she faced a real humiliation and i agree it is brexit in name only and i do not believe that anybody voted for that. the best deal we have is the deal we already have as a member of the european union, brexit in name only does not help anybody in the poll today came out 14% would support the deal, 30% would support a crashing out and 54% w

stumbling blocks remain over uk access to the eu single market, access to uk waters for eu boats and gibraltar. let's talk to our political correspondent jonathan blake who is watching events from westminster. tell us what theresa may and jean—claude juncker have been talking about. the meeting has only just finished so we haven't yet heard the prime minister as we are perhaps expecting to this evening with some reaction to their discussion but it is likely to have focused on but the withdrawal agreement, phase one of the brexit process if you like, but rather the political declaration of the future relationship between the uk and eu. that is the broad outline running to about 20 pages or so, of how both sides see the relationship working in the future. 0n the last day there has been a sense the eu remaining 27 member countries aren't quite all on the same page about this. france raising concerns about fishing rights, after brexit, spain kicking up rights, after brexit, spain kicking upa bit rights, after brexit, spain kicking up a bit of rights, after brexit, spain kicking upa bit

theresa may has met eu leaders this evening. we'll bring you the latest reaction. the other news this evening... french police use water cannon and tear gas against demonstrators in paris, who are demanding a cut in fuel prices. 130 protesters were detained across the country. a nd nicolas roeg, the director of the man who fell to earth and don't look now, has died at the age of 90. theresa may has met eu leaders ahead of tomorrow's crucial summit where her brexit withdrawal agreement will be formally signed off. she and the other 27 eu leaders are due to approve the draft agreement for britain's departure from the european union. it follows spain's decision not to boycott the summit after getting reassurances over gibralter. this evening, theresa may insisted that the uk's position on the sovereignty of gibraltar has not changed following claims she caved in to spanish demands for concessions over the future of the territory. let me just say a word about gibraltar. we have worked through the issues regarding gibraltar in a constructive and sensitive way and i woul

well, i'm not going to advocate staying in the eu but if you just presented me terms, this deal or eu membership, because we'd effectively be bound by the same rules but without the control or voice over them, yes, i think this would be even worse than that. i declare this brexit minimart open! a stunt to suggest brexit could come at a cost. more on the labour side are buying into the idea of a fresh referendum. what i'd like to do, ideally of course, is have a general election so we can vote this shower out. i speak as a labour politician. if we can't have that option, ithink, you know, the british public, for the first time, for the first time should have a say whether they accept the outcome of these negotiations, with the option of staying in the eu. the odds are that a large number of mps on all sides are stacked up against theresa may's brexit plan. today she is insisting if her plan is defeated in the commons, there is no chance of getting a better one. but tory brexiteers, including some in cabinet, disagree. they may not want a leader who is convinced they have no chance of s

the eu wants eve ryo ne longer than you think. the eu wants everyone to keep calm, very,, but suggests there could be close ties ina suggests there could be close ties in a transition period until the end of 2022. this deal is fair and balanced. now more than ever, we must all remain calm and we will remain calm and keep our focus on the need for the uk to leave the eu in an orderly fashion. inside number ten, the plan is to settle the terms of our relationship with the eu by sunday. but it's notjust up to those in the inner sanctum. theresa may mightjust those in the inner sanctum. theresa may might just want those in the inner sanctum. theresa may mightjust want to hunker down. but there are still brexiteers of the gates. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. well, business leaders at the cbi largely welcomed the prime minister's plans, although some have criticised her plans for immigration after brexit — as our business editor simonjack reports. rex london sells over £6 million worth of gifts to eu customers every year,

a dealfor the uk's departure from the eu is approved by leaders in brussels. the prime minister says it's an agreement that delivers for britain, but acknowledges what lies ahead at westminster. i will take this deal back to the house of commons, confident we have achieved the best deal available, and full of optimism about the future of our country. in parliament, and beyond it, i will make the case for this deal with all my heart. with the uk set to leave in four months, eu officials call it a "sad day", and have a warning for mps. this is the best deal possible for britain, and this is the only deal possible. so if the house would say no, we would have no deal. we'll be assessing the contents of the agreement, and the chances of parliament passing it. also tonight: the medical implants that are inadequately tested or unsafe — but still used on patients. thousands of facebook documents are seized by mps investigating it over data — and privacy. and in cricket, england are beaten by australia in the final of the women's world twenty20. good evening. in a

brussels.in the eu set this flat eu for -- set to slap italy for exploding its budget. will there be a break the deal in time for sunday's susummit? interpol those on a new president. he might have used the international police agency's power to target critics of the kremlin. the man n accused ofof housing terrorists during the paris attacks of 2015. back in court today prosecutors's are appealing a decision to release the man known as the isis landlord. coming up, the latest on the gone.l engulfing carlos has been arrested over allegations of financial misconduct. a 71-year-old frenchman gears up across the atlantic in a barrel. first, our top stories live from paris. ♪ start at thell european union. italy could face sanctions and fines if it does not change course on its budget. the commission is releasing a report on the overall debt position, amounting to more than 130% of gdp, second only to greece and far above the eu limit of 60%. to talk more about this now, let's bring in dave keating. what more can you tell us about with happening? this press c conference e

a failure on the eu's behalf? a failure on the eu's behalf? a failure on the british behalf, if you are telling people year after year, month after month, day after day that the membership of the european union is the best thing for the european citizens? i don't think the european citizens? i don't think the european citizens? i don't think the european union is guilty of the result. it's the responsibility of britain, only of britain, of nobody else. is there a certain sense of relief rest at the uk was never happy, enthusiastic as a member of the european union. once the uk is gone, surely you are free to have an eu army orany gone, surely you are free to have an eu army or any other things the uk was standing on the way of? i always appreciated from the ministers and prime minister, the british sense of pragmatism. it was a gift given by britain to the european union, down to earth, common sense. we will miss that, but it was the decision of the british people to leave. the president of the european commission speaking to our political edi

prime minister's agreement with the eu had fatalflaws. he prime minister's agreement with the eu had fatal flaws. he was followed shortly afterwards by esther mcvey and a number of junior shortly afterwards by esther mcvey and a number ofjunior ministers have also resigned. mrs may has spent the morning in the house of commons as —— answering questions from mps and there's speculation a leadership challenge could be imminent. are you going to resign? she hadn't meant that she has now come esther mcvey became the second cabinet minister to walk out over the brexit divorce deal, following the man in charge of the brexit talks out of government. dominic raab now the second brexit secretary to quit the job saying he couldn't support what was now on the table. the terms proposed to the cabinet yesterday i think had two major and fatal flaws. the first is the terms being offered by the eu threatened the integrity of the uk and the second is they would lead to an indefinite if not permanent situation where we would have no say of the rules o

this text has been studied now in all 27 eu capitals. one of the key issues at the heart of the eu referendum was taking back control. now, you have frequent mention in this document of uk's sovereignty, and also of an independent uk trading policy. it's also made very clear here that after brexit, the freedom of movement of eu citizens to come and live and work in the uk is over. theresa may said after brexit, the uk would leave the single market but could still enjoy frictionless trade with the eu. well, that's not in here because the eu wants to drive home the point that if you leave the single market, you can't have the same benefits. but this is ambitious on trade. it calls for the ease of trade between the eu and uk, and to have as close a trade relationship as possible. for those who dislike the wording of the irish border guarantee in the other brexit document, the withdrawal agreement, they'll be relieved to see here that the eu and the uk say they're going to work hard to find alternatives, such as using technologies when they'

they want to leave the eu but they want to have the economic benefits of the eu. but that is something that brussels, but all the european capitals have said from the start — uk, if you leave, you can choose the kind of relationship you want with us. if it's a close one, like norway has, that comes with its own regulations. it means keeping on paying into the eu budget. it means keeping on allowing the free movement of people. it means keeping much closer to all of our regulations, even when you are on the outside. however, if you choose a kind of free trade agreement, like canada has, for example, with the eu, it is much more an arm's length relationship, but it doesn't have all of those economic benefits of the single market. theresa may has always promised that after brexit, the uk could enjoyed frictionless trade with the eu but, frankly, that was what the single market was designed to do, to provide frictionless trade, so that goes back to what germany and france are saying right now, that regardless of whether it is in this non—legally binding declaratio

that he is a brexiteer and believes the eu is a brexiteer and believes the eu is cosy and capitalist. didn't he vote remain? yes but in 1975 he voted to leave. he campaigned in a very lukewarm manner and i voted to leave. he campaigned in a very lukewarm mannerand i think voted to leave. he campaigned in a very lukewarm manner and i think his long—standing ideology is outing the eu as long—standing ideology is outing the euasa long—standing ideology is outing the eu as a capitalist club that harms workers' rights. let's talk about one of these plan bs that you mentioned. in the sunday telegraph, a secret plan b, in quotes, for brexit. according to the telegraph, a cabinetand brexit. according to the telegraph, a cabinet and eu plot? it is double pronged war—gaming going on here. interestingly we have heard a lot about what the brexiteers are doing and what they have been conspiring and what they have been conspiring and convening, and organising themselves better in the early stages of the process. it's interesting, today we have seen a lot of use of cabinet remainers, threate

i think there is a deliberate saints today from the eu side that this is going to bea from the eu side that this is going to be a sober occasion, there will not be champagne corks popped. it's just a pause because we'll get into the difficult political arithmetic in westminster, will this get through the house of commons? if it doesn't, what happens then? through the house of commons? if it doesn't, what happens themm through the house of commons? if it doesn't, what happens then? it is a marker of how each nation will put its interests first in the next stage, the unity has been there but you've got the dutch, the danish talking about fishing, the french wa nt talking about fishing, the french want a level playing field, the spanish want something on gibraltar, it's going to be very difficult. it's going to be very difficult, the most difficult thing starts now, we have done the easy part, somehow, i know the member states who have got vetoes will be pushing their own interests. there is the sovereignty of the rock which has been out of the agreement so far but it's going to be much m

the rights of 3 million eu citizens in the uk and 1 million uk citizens in the eu will be protected. a comprehensive air transport agreement will keep planes flying between britain and the eu, and a deal on energy will allow electricity and gas to continue to flow. the text also covers the so—called "backstop" for northern ireland, which guarantees there will be no return to a hard border with the republic of ireland if the two sides fail to do a deal in time. in that event, the uk as a whole would stay aligned with the eu customs union. there would also be a 21—month transition period to give businesses time to prepare. so although britain leaves the eu on 29 march 2019, nothing will change until the end of 2020. britain has also agreed it will pay a fair financial settlement — or divorce bill — of as much as 39 billion pounds or $51 billion. this is what the prime minister had to say after brokering the deal. this is a decisive step which enables us to move on and finalise a deal in the days ahead top these decisions were not taken lightly but i believe it is a decision tha

that is what the eu argues. so the uk has to come up with some sort of plan which says yes, we can frictionless trade and go our own way and many people say you can't square the circle. he spent a lot of time in brussels. follow on this question we were just asking about, not so much whether the eu should give more to britain but whether they will give more. do you sense any appetite in brussels to say, ok, you've taken this to the party and it's not going to fly so we are going to help you out. here is one more thing we can you? there isn't a lot. there will be compromise on putting together a future trade agreement but there is a feeling that they are already giving too much. if you are offering a temporary customs union, that is a pretty major trade agreement. there are countries across europe who have said they have only done half a deal. they are getting tariff free access to our markets and what are we getting in return? there are elements of a level playing field, making sure there are guarantees the uk c

to be aligned closely with the eu but to also have a free trade deal with the eu. i am wondering if that is what the u.s. is doing in the interim. amb. darroch: that is a good question. it goes to the core of negotiations, once we have the brexit deal agreed in the parliament, certified by the british parliament, it is the negotiations, once we have the core, one that will start next year. that is my expectation. i think the two negotiations will run parallel, but we basically have to find a way through that, the frictionless border, trade between the eu and the u.k. that allows the freedom to do the kind of deal with the u.s. i don't know how we do it. i am not an expert in trade policy. but i expect to do something ambitious in both directions, both for the eu and the u.s. of course i trust my colleagues, and i think they can. walter: ok, yes, sir. >> thank you. i am a retired foreign service officer. i wanted to ask you about the force agreement. britain has a force of its own. do you see a coordination with the european union after brexit? either done through n

and that will bea secures with the eu? and that will be a very, very keenly fought political area, political turf in the coming months and years. political area, political turf in the coming months and years. chris mason speaking earlier to kasia. the french and japanese governments have expressed support for the continued alliance between renault, nissan and mitsubishi just hours after nissan's chairman was sacked by the company's executive board. carlos ghosn was arrested in tokyo on monday following accusations he had been involved in financial misconduct. a short time ago, i spoke to our business correspondent, mariko oi, and asked her whether he was now definitely sacked. is it official he is fired? it is, rico. the board meeting took longer than expected, went into the late evening in yokohama, where the nissan headquarters is. apparently because there was a request from france's renault, which nissan has an alliance with, asking the nissan board not to fire him, but that request was withdrawn and anonymously they've

it isa eu. —— if the uk is to leave the eu. it is a reasonable points to make that their country chose in june 2016 to become an independent nation of 65 million, cutting its own trade deals and making relationships across the world, reflecting in my judgment the underlying strength of the uk, global not regional, and ta ke the uk, global not regional, and take ourselves away from being a big power in europe, and the uk had that choice and it made the choice. there was not a right answer. you have no fear about an was not a right answer. you have no fearaboutan —— was not a right answer. you have no fear about an —— eight no—deal brexit? no. the committee that i chaired 20 months ago produced a report on the implications of no deal and said it would be a dereliction of duty if the government didn't properly prepare for it and asked the government is to make sure every department had a plan, andi to make sure every department had a plan, and i trust that work has gone on and it can now be properly surfaced. william hag