19 June, 2017
The first round of formal negotiations on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union will begin on June 19, it has been confirmed.
His comments are likely to be seen as a further indication he is pressing for the Government to take a "softer" line on Brexit than the immigration-driven approach previously set out by Theresa May.
Philip Hammond, Britain's finance minister, says protecting the British economy should be the main objective of upcoming negotiations over the country's exit from the European Union.
The consequences of the United Kingdom offering less than permanent protection of all the rights now enjoyed by European Union nationals, however, could lead to reciprocal obstinacy, including the deprivation of the rights of elderly Britons in Spain to free healthcare, one official warned.
"We have always had the suspicion that the United Kingdom would not be prepared to safeguard the rights of these people, but that they would like to do less than that".
The debate within Britain's government about how to quit the European Union has been blown wide open by an election that left May without a majority in parliament and damaged her authority in the ruling Conservative Party.
However, this turmoil does not appear to have deterred May, who intends to lead Britain into talks with European Union figures next week, while back home she tries to arrange a minority government deal with Northern Irish party the DUP.
Mr Davis is expected to meet Mr Barnier at the Commission's headquarters in Belgian capital Brussels on Monday but it is not known how long the initial round of talks will last. I think they are ready with it, but whether they are politically ready to do it I don't know.
Prompted by her poor election showing, particularly among pro-EU young people who fear losses of jobs and opportunity for Brexit, some of her most senior ministers and two former Conservative prime ministers have called for a rethink.
After a tumultuous week that pitched Britain into its deepest political crisis since the Brexit referendum a year ago, May's future was uncertain due to her botched gamble on a snap election and a muted response to a deadly fire in London.
