Brexit talks - as it happened: Michel Barnier tells UK 'time has come to make a choice' on customs union
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Your support makes all the difference.Theresa May has held meetings with the EU’s chief negotiator in London after Downing Street confirmed Britain will “categorically” leave the customs union after Brexit.
After speaking with the Prime Minister over a working lunch, Michel Barnier then held a brief press conference with the Brexit Secretary David Davis.
He warned Ms May that trade barriers are “unavoidable” if she carries out her plan to leave the customs union, adding that “the time has come to make a choice”.
Mr Barnier also appeared to rebuff Mrs May’s apparent attempt to deny full settlement rights to EU citizens who arrive in the UK after Brexit day – but before the end of a transition period.
It comes as the Prime Minister prepares to meet her 11-member Brexit war-cabinet later this week to thrash out the Government’s vision for the so-called “end state”.
Reassuring Conservative Brexiteers on Sunday evening a Downing Street source insisted the UK would “categorically [be] leaving the customs union” after reports that Ms May had softened her stance.
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This is from the Press Association following a question and answer session with Jacob Rees-Mogg with postgraduate students:
Theresa May does not look like she is having fun being Prime Minister and does it "because it's her duty", Jacob Rees-Mogg has said.
But the backbench Brexiteer, who has been touted as a potential leadership candidate, backed Mrs May and stressed it would be "very difficult" for him as a father of six children to do the top job.
He did criticise the "gloomy" vision of a "nasty" future set out by the Tories at the botched snap election the PM called last year, and stressed the party must be doing more to articulate a vision as Jeremy Corbyn has for Labour.
But he distanced himself from suggestions he wants to be prime minister.
Answering questions from postgraduate journalism diploma students at the Press Association in central London, the North East Somerset MP said: "I think want is very much the wrong word.
"If you look at Mrs May, it seems to be quite clear she does it because it's her duty to do it, I don't get the impression that it's a lot of fun for her - it's hard work.
"I've got six children, it would be very, very difficult as a family man so want is not the right word, I'm very happy as a backbencher and what I do want is Mrs May to stay Prime Minister."
Mr Rees-Mogg criticised the Tories' election campaign, which last June left the party without a House of Commons majority.
"We should have a more optimistic vision, what we had to say at the last election was so gloomy," he said.
"It was that we will manage things better than the other side will, but it is going to be really nasty, we're going to make you sell your house if you're elderly and if you're young we're not going to talk to you at all.
"That doesn't work, it was a bad idea.
"Where I think Jeremy Corbyn is doing well is in showing a vision for what he believes in and I think Conservatives have to do this."
Mr Rees-Mogg also praised the "bravery" of I'm A Celebrity winner Georgia "Toff" Toffolo for publicly backing the Tories, and said it was important for the party to show it has young and famous supporters.
"It's very important the Conservative Party can show that it's got followers from a variety of areas," the MP said.
"We broadly expect that retired field marshals will be Conservative but we need to show that young people, celebrities, people that can win I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, also have a connection with the Conservative Party, that they see why it's attractive.
"And I think her role is important in showing that there are some young Conservative as well and she's brave in putting her head above the parapet because very few celebrities are willing to say they are Conservative."
Esther McVey is now in the Commons making her debut as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. She was promoted to the position by Theresa May last month in her reshuffle.
"Universal credit is having a positive impact," says McVey, saying more people are in work.
David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, is now speaking after his meeting with Michel Barnier, in Downing Street.
He said the pair had "constructive" talks and in the next few months have to arrive at a political agreement on the transition period. "We're confidence we can get to that agreement at the March council.
Barnier says he was pleased to meet with the Prime Minister earlier on Monday. He says the PM has asked to benefit from the single market and customs union for a short period after March 2019. Barnier says the conditions are clear - everyone has to act by the same rules. Certainly will only come with the ratification of the withdrawal agreement, he adds.
Responding to the questions...
Davis says we have already published a great deal of material on the UK's proposals. He says the UK wants a customs arrangement. "We've made perfectly clear what we want to do," he says.
Asked whether the aims are achievable, Barnier says he will not give a running commentary on domestic policies in the UK.
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