Brexit deal - as it happened: Theresa May's late-night scramble to seal a deal as EU finally gives green light for future trade talks

Brexit: Theresa May agrees breakthrough Irish border deal with EU leaders

After late night phone-calls and a very early morning flight to Brussels, Theresa May and the EU announced a breakthrough deal which will allow Brexit negotiations to progress to the next stage.

Here is how the day unfolded.

In dramatic early-morning scenes, the Prime Minister flew to Brussels to stage a joint press conference with Jean-Claude Juncker, EU Commission president, following lengthy negotiations with her allies in the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

The leaders declared that "sufficient progress" had been made on the "divorce issues" to begin the negotiations on their future trading relationship. The decision must be approved by the other 27 EU leaders at a summit on Thursday.

Key details emerged throughout the day including the detail on Britain's divorce bill - which will be between £35bn and 39bn rather than the anticipated £50bn - and the fact that people living in Northern Ireland will be able to retain their EU citizenship.

Leading Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson and David Davis gave their backing to the Prime Minister but she still faces significant a challenge to convince members of her own party over the deal, as she had to make concessions on controversial issues such as the European Court of Justice.

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Key Points

6.06am: EU President's assistant hints deal agreed with 'white smoke' tweet

[8 December 2017 08:08 · Adam Withnall]

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[8 December 2017 08:10 · Adam Withnall]

Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland, has spoken out about the deal. 

[8 December 2017 08:10 · Adam Withnall]

And a follow-up from Ms Sturgeon.

[8 December 2017 08:13 · Adam Withnall]

Brexit Minister David Davies has taken to Twitter the parties "should now move forward" in the negotiations. 

[8 December 2017 08:16 · Adam Withnall]

Michael Gove, Environment Secretary and leading Brexiteer, has told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the agreement is a "significant" personal political achievement for Theresa May.

[8 December 2017 08:17 · Adam Withnall]

British business groups are expressing relief that Brexit talks look set to start discussing the future shape of trade and economic relations between the U.K. and the European Union. 

Businesses have been clamoring for details on what the relationship between Britain and the EU will be after Brexit in March 2019. Some companies have been putting off investment in Britain or making plans to move jobs out of the country. 

Stephen Martin, who heads U.K. business group the Institute of Directors, said "it went right down to the wire, but businesses will be breathing a huge sigh of relief." 

Adam Marshall, director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce, says that "after the noise and political brinksmanship of recent days, news of a breakthrough in the negotiations will be warmly welcomed by companies across the U.K." 

[8 December 2017 08:22 · Adam Withnall]

The full transcript from Donald Tusk's brief speech on the agreement earlier this morning:

This morning, I received the confirmation from our negotiators that sufficient progress has been made. This allows me to present the draft guidelines for the December European Council, which I have just sent to the leaders. My proposals are the following.

First, we should start negotiating the transition period, so that people and businesses have clarity about their situation. As you know, the UK has asked for a transition of about two years, while remaining part of the Single Market and Customs Union. And we will be ready to discuss this, but naturally, we have our conditions. I propose that during this period, the UK will respect: the whole of EU law, including new law; it will respect budgetary commitments; it will respect judicial oversight; and of course, all the related obligations.

Clearly, within the transition period following the UK’s withdrawal, EU decision-making will continue among the 27 member states, without the UK.

All of what I have said seems to be the only reasonable solution, and it is in the interest of all our citizens that it is agreed as soon as possible. This is why I will ask the EU leaders to mandate our negotiator to start these talks immediately.

Second, we want to begin discussions with the UK in order to explore the British vision of its future relationship with the EU. So far, we have heard a number of various ideas. We need more clarity on how the UK sees our future relations, after it has left the Single Market and Customs Union. I therefore propose to mandate our negotiator to start exploratory talks with our British friends about this problem. On our side, we are ready to start preparing a close EU-UK partnership in trade, but also in the fight against terrorism and international crime as well as security, defence and foreign policy. For this to happen, the European Council will have to adopt additional guidelines next year.

While being satisfied with today’s agreement, which is obviously the personal success of Prime Minister Theresa May, let us remember that the most difficult challenge is still ahead. We all know that breaking up is hard. But breaking up and building a new relation is much harder. Since the Brexit referendum, a year and a half has passed. So much time has been devoted to the easier part of the task. And now, to negotiate a transition arrangement and the framework for our future relationship, we have de facto less than a year. Thank you.

[8 December 2017 08:26 · Adam Withnall]

Leo Varadkar, the Irish Taoiseach, has said there will be no hard border between the Republic and Northern Ireland, and that the Common Travel Area will remain in place after Brexit.

[8 December 2017 08:27 · Adam Withnall]

Mr Varadkar says Ireland has always been determined to keep the Good Friday Agreement in place.

[8 December 2017 08:28 · Adam Withnall]

Darren McCaffrey, Sky News Dublin correspondent, has shared footage of the Irish PM's news conference, which is still ongoing.