Theresa May travelling to the North East to set out vision for Brexit

Theresa May is travelling to the North East this coming week to give a keynote speech on Britain's exit from the EU.
Theresa MayTheresa May
Theresa May

The Prime Minister said Brexit is "bright new chapter" for Britain and the country's best days "really do lie ahead of us" as she confirmed she will head to the region on Friday.

She will make a keynote speech on the Government's Brexit vision while here, though the exact location has not yet been confirmed. Her visit will come after a special Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

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Mrs May held a Brexit "war cabinet" meeting at Chequers earlier in the week to thrash out the details of the next steps of negotiations with Brussels.

She said: "On Thursday, I told the Cabinet committee at Chequers that the deal we negotiate with the EU must present an ambitious future for our great country.

"Next week I will present the committee's conclusions to an additional session of the full Cabinet before travelling to the North East on Friday to give a speech setting out this Government's vision of what our future economic partnership with the European Union should look like.

"Delivering the best Brexit is about our national future, part of the way we improve the lives of people all over the country.

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"So I concluded the meeting by reminding the committee that the decisions we make now will shape this country for a generation.

"If we get them right, Brexit will be the beginning of a bright new chapter in our national story, and our best days really do lie ahead of us."

The Government will pursue a policy putting Britain outside a customs union with the EU but matching Brussels rules in certain sectors in an attempt to achieve "frictionless" trade.

But European Council president Donald Tusk said the Brexit plans are an "illusion".

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He will meet Mrs May in No 10 for talks on Thursday lunchtime.

At a press conference on Friday, Mr Tusk said: "It looks like the cake philosophy is still alive. From the very start it has been a key principle of the EU 27 that there can be no cherry-picking and no single market a la carte.

"This is, and will continue to be, a key principle, I have no doubt."