Tusk urges to get on with Brexit

EUROPEAN Council President Donald Tusk has warned Theresa May there is “no time to lose” in the Brexit negotiations.

With talks due to start in Brussels in nine days’ time, Mr Tusk said it was their “urgent task” to get on with the negotiations in “the best possible spirit”.

In a letter to the Prime Minister congratulating her on her reappointment, he said the two-year time frame set out under Article 50 of the EU treaties left no room for delay.

“Our shared responsibility and urgent task now is to conduct the negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union in the best possible spirit, securing the least disruptive outcome for our citizens, businesses and countries after March 2019,” he said.

“The time-frame set by Article 50 of the Treaty leaves us with no time to lose. I am fully committed to maintaining regular and close contact at our level to facilitate the work of our negotiators.”

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker yesterday said he hoped there would be no further delay to the negotiations.

“As far as the commission is concerned, we can open negotiations tomorrow morning at half-past nine,” he said.

“I do hope that the result of the election will have no major impact on the negotiations we are desperately waiting for.”

Earlier, Brussels’ chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the talks would begin when Britain was ready, suggesting he would consider a short delay.

In a message released on Twitter, Mr Barnier said: “Brexit negotiations should start when UK is ready; timetable and EU positions are clear. Let’s put our minds together on striking a deal.”