Theresa May tells Brussels the time has come to face some 'hard facts'
Theresa May discussed what she referred to as a set of "hard facts" regarding Britain's departure from the European Union while delivering her next big Brexit speech at Mansion House in London on Friday.
"We are leaving the single market, life is going to be different," she told her audience, acknowledging that access to each other's markets would be "less than it is now," before adding that the "jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice in the UK must end".
May outlined exactly what Number 10 was hoping for from its economic relationship with the EU after March 2019, starting with her five "tests" for the negotiations and a pledge to "bring our country together".
The PM said both sides needed to come to terms with the fact that "neither side can have exactly what we want," however, she remained confident that both sides would inevitably see eye-to-eye.
May said both sides would need to make "binding commitments" in order for the deal on access to each other's markets to be fair for Westminster and Brussels alike.
"For example, we may choose to commit some areas of our regulations like state aid and competition to remaining in step with the EU's," she said.
May said Downing Street wanted the freedom to negotiate trade deals, control of laws and "as frictionless a border as possible" between the two unions, but remained defiant that any disputes about their relationship moving forward would not be governed by "the court of either party".
On the Northern Irish border, the PM rejected suggestions that the UK could decide not to impose a hard border with the Republic of Ireland.
"It is not good enough to say 'we won't introduce a hard border; if the EU forces Ireland to do it, that's down to them," she said
"We chose to leave; we have a responsibility to help find a solution. But we can't do it on our own. It is for all of us to work together," May added.
The PM went on to say that Brussels would also have to accept some "hard facts", highlighting the fact that the EU had suggested the "only option available" to the UK was an "off-the-shelf model"
"But, at the same time, they have also said that in certain areas, none of the EU's third country agreements would be appropriate. "
Despite being accused of trying to "cherry-pick" the best parts of the bloc's rules by the EU, May said, "The fact is that every free trade agreement has varying market access depending on the respective interests of the countries involved."
"If this is cherry-picking, then every trade arrangement is cherry-picking," she added.