Brexit today - as it happened: Theresa May questioned on the latest EU negotiating position in the Commons
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Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May has met her most senior ministers in Cabinet to discuss - for the first time - what kind of trade deal the UK should pursue with the EU after Brexit.
The Prime Minister also addressed the House of Commons, telling MPs she will attempt to finalise free trade deals with countries outside the bloc “where possible” - setting her on collision course with Brussels.
But she was urged by the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to "face down" Cabinet ministers who want to scrap EU regulations which limit the working week.
He asked the Prime Minister to "categorically" offer assurances over her intent to maintain the standards of the Working Time Directive during any transition period and beyond. Ms May, replying after updating MPs, reiterated the Government intends to "enhance" workers' rights.
It comes after Stefaan De Rynck, an adviser to the EU’s top Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, told an audience in London that the post-withdrawal transition period is “not a given” as he highlighted tensions between London and Brussels.
Mr De Rynck said the EU's goal was to have a fully-written withdrawal treaty ready for ratification by October next year, but stressed many issues needed to be worked out in the tight timeframe and that Britain would not be allowed to pick and choose a “buffet” option.
This liveblog is now closed but you can see all of Monday's developments below.
Later today Theresa May will meet her most senior minister to discuss what kind of trade deal the UK should have with Europe after the end of the “transition” period, which is likely to last from 2019 to 2021.
After that the Prime Minister will tell the Commons the European Council guidelines point to the “shared desire of the EU and the UK to make rapid progress on an implementation period”.
“This will help give certainty to employers and families that we are going to deliver a smooth Brexit,” she will add.
“As I proposed in Florence, during this strictly time-limited implementation period which we will now begin to negotiate, we would not be in the Single Market or the Customs Union, as we will have left the European Union.
“But we would propose that our access to one another's markets would continue as now, while we prepare and implement the new processes and new systems that will underpin our future partnership.
“During this period we intend to register new arrivals from the EU as preparation for our future immigration system.
“And we will prepare for our future independent trade policy by negotiating - and where possible signing - trade deals with third countries, which could come into force after the conclusion of the implementation period.”
Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary, has said the UK will continue to play a "pivotal role" as a global nation after Brexit.
Speaking from O2's central London headquarters Mr Williamson told the Press Association Britain's place in the world is "not going to be about retreat".
He said: "The Prime Minister has made it absolutely clear that Britain's place in the world is not going to be about retreat.
"It's going to be about being involved in every aspect of world affairs, whether it's in Europe, whether it's in the United Nations, whether i's about playing our part as a global nation - global Britain.
"That's what we're doing. The armed forces are going to be playing an absolutely pivotal role in that.
"We're actually serving in over 30 countries right around the globe: 25 different operations.
"That's not going to be something we're going to be stepping away from anytime in the future."
This is from the Press Association following the journalists' briefing with Downing Street.
Theresa May is committed to maintaining workers' rights after Brexit and Cabinet ministers are not expected to discuss EU regulations which limit the working week to 48 hours at a crunch meeting on Monday, Downing Street said.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman reiterated her commitment to "maintaining and where possible enhancing workers' rights" as senior ministers began thrashing out plans for a post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal.
A meeting of the Brexit "war cabinet" - formally called the Cabinet European Union Exit and Trade Committee - was taking place on Monday, with a full Cabinet on Tuesday, as ministers consider the relationship the Government wants with the EU.
The spokesman dismissed reports that Brexit-backing ministers could demand an end to the EU Working Time Directive, which limits the working week to 48 hours.
"I wouldn't anticipate it's part of the Cabinet discussion," he told a regular Westminster briefing.
The spokesman added: "The Government position on this is clear - as part of the Withdrawal Bill those existing EU regulations are being moved over into UK law and going forward I've got nothing to add beyond the Prime Minister's stated words that she's committed to maintaining and where possible enhancing workers' rights."
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