Theresa May on Brexit: ‘We Can Together Build a Stronger, Fairer, Better Britain’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
MAY: "Leaving the European union will meet our goals will be made in Westminster, Edinburgh and Belfast and those laws will be interpreted by judges not in Luxembourg but across the country. We will strengthen the union of the four nations. Will negotiate as one united Kingdom taking account of the specific interests of every nation and region of the uk and when it comes to the powers we will take back from Europe we will consult on which powers reside in Westminster and which should be part of the next administration that no decision currently taken by the administration will be removed from them and it is the expectation of the government that the administration in Scotland, Wales and northern Ireland will see a significant increase in their decision making power as a result of this process. We want to maintain the common travel area with the republic of Ireland with no return to the borders of the past, we will control immigration so we continue to attract the best and brightest to work or study and manage the process properly so the immigration system serves the international interest, we seek the rights of eu citizens while living in Britain and the rights of British nationals in other member states as early as we can. That is set out very clearly in the letter as an early priority to the talks I had. We will ensure workers rights are fully protected and maintained. Under my leadership not only will the government protect the rights of workers but we will build on them which a bold and ambitious free trade agreement with the European union that allows the freest possible trade in goods and services between Britain and eu member states, gives British companies the maximum freedom to trade with and operate within European markets and let's European businesses do the same in Britain because European leaders have said many times we cannot cherry pick and remain members of the single market without accepting this that are indivisible. Accepting that is indefatigable, we will no longer be members of a single market, we are going to make sure we can strike trade agreements with countries outside the European union. Important as our trade with the eu is and will remain it is clear the uk needs to increase significantly its trade with the fastest growing export markets in the world. We hope to collaborate with our European partners in the areas of science, education, research and technology so the uk is one of the best for science and innovation. We see continued cooperation with European partners in important areas like crime, terrorism and foreign affairs and to deliver a smooth orderly brexit reaching an agreement about future partnership by the time the two your article 50 process has concluded, then moving into a phase process of implementation in which Britain, the eu institutions and member states prepare for new arrangements that will exist between them. And leaving the eu, we will lose influence over the rules that affect the European economy, uk companies that trade the eu would have to align with us by institutions of which we are no longer a part and we do in other overseas markets. Can we accept that? We approach these talks constructively, respectfully and in a spirit of sincere cooperation. In the interests of the united Kingdom and the European union, we should use this process to deliver our objectives in a fair and orderly manner. In the interests of the united Kingdom and the European union that there should be as little disruption as possible, the interests of the United Kingdom and European union that Europe should remain strong, prosperous and capable of projecting itself in the world at a time when the growth of global trade is slowing and there are signs of protectionist instinct on the rise in many parts of the world, Europe, Europe has a responsibility to stand up for free trade in the interests of all our citizens with with Europe security more fragile today than at any time since the end of the Cold War weakening our cooperation and failing to stand up for European families would be a costly mistake. Arvo to leave the eu was the rejection of the values we share as fellow Europeans. As a European country we will continue to play our part in promoting and supporting those values during negotiations once they are done. We will be reliable partners winning allies and close friends. We want to continue to buy goods and services in the eu and sell them out, trade as freely as possible and work with one another to make sure we are safer, more secure and more prosperous through continued friendship. Increasingly unstable world we must continue to forge the closest possible security cooperation to keep our people safe. We face the same global threats from terrorism and extremism. That message is only reinforced by the attack on Westminster bridge, there should be no reason why we should not agree a new deep and special partnership between the uk and the eu that works for us all. I know this is a day of celebration for some and disappointment for others. The referendum last June was divisive at times, not everyone shared the same point of view or voted the same way. The arguments on both sides were passionate but when I sit around the negotiation table in the months ahead, every person in the United Kingdom, young and, all the villages and houses disagree and eu nationals made this country their home and it is my fierce determination to get the right deal for every person in this country. The opportunities ahead of us on this momentous journey our shared values and ambitions can and must bring us together. We all want to see a Britain that is stronger than it is today. We want a country that is fair or so everyone has a chance to succeed. We all want a nation that is safe and secure for our children or grandchildren, we want to live in a truly global, old friends and new allies around the world. Ambitions that unite us so we are no longer defined by the vote to be cast but our determination for success of the results, where one great union of people and nations. And a bright future. Now that the decision to leave has been made in the process is underway, time to come together. This great national moment needs a great national effort, to shape a stronger future for Britain. Let us do so together. Let us come together and work together, let us together choose to leave Britain with optimism and hope, for if we do, we can make the most of the opportunities ahead. We can together make a success of this moment and we can together build a stronger, fairer, better Britain, a Britain our children and grandchildren are proud to call home."