Cabinet clash over date to trigger Brexit talks

THERESA MAY is facing her first Cabinet clash with proBrexit ministers over when Britain should trigger divorce proceedings with the European Union.

The Prime Minister has signalled that she could take her time to invoke Article 50 notifying Brussels that Britain is leaving the EU.

Mrs May has said she wants to wait until Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, is happy with the plan so that there can be an agreed UK-wide approach but there are fears this will mean years of delays. However,

has learnt that senior government officials have been given a timetable under which Article 50 is triggered by this Christmas.

Once the article is invoked, a two-year countdown begins during which negotiations are held over the terms under which the UK will leave.

Both David Davis, the Secretary of State for Exiting the EU, and Liam Fox, the new International Trade Secretary, have previously said they want to trigger Article 50 by the end of this year.

Boris Johnson, the new Foreign Secretary, will travel to Brussels for his first talks with EU counterparts over Brexit later today. He is likely to be told they want Article 50 triggered immediately.

It came as an ally of sacked Cabinet minister Michael Gove yesterday becoming the latest high-profile MP to leave the Government.

Dominic Raab has left his ministerial post at the Ministry of Justice, despite a plea from former justice secretary Mr Gove to keep him in place. A government source said Mr Raab had been offered a role at the same level in a different department but had turned it down.