Theresa May to propose two-year post-Brexit trade deal with EU
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14:50 18/04/24
Theresa May was set to tell EU leaders that there was a shared responsibility between them to ensure that they could "smoothly" implement Brexit in an attempt to break the current stalemate in negotiations.
In her major speech in Florence on Friday, the Prime Minister was prepared to say that history would judge Brexit "not for the differences we faced, but for the vision we showed," as she was reportedly planning to propose a two-year transitional deal that would take effect after Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019.
It was said to include over €20bn worth of payments to Brussels over the two-year period.
According to excerpts from the PM's speech that had been released ahead of its delivery, May was going to remind EU officials that a positive outcome to negotiations would be beneficial to both parties involved.
"If we can do that, then when this chapter of our European history is written, it will be remembered not for the differences we faced, but for the vision we showed; not for the challenges we endured but for the creativity we used to overcome them; not for a relationship that ended but a new partnership that began."
May would also argue that it is "in all of our interests for our negotiations to succeed […] so I believe we share a profound sense of responsibility to make this change work smoothly and sensibly, not just for people today but for the next generation who will inherit the world we leave them."
The fourth round of Brexit negotiations were slated to commence on 25 September.