Britain sets out details of relationship with EU after Brexit

Britain has pronounced details of the future relationship it envisages with the European Union, saying it wants talks with the EU to move on to the next phase.

Senior British ministers presented a united front to negotiations with the EU on Sunday. The UK wants to start talking about its post-Brexit relationship with the EU in order to reassure anxious businesses, citizens and investors, but the union has insisted that first exit arrangements should be determined.

"We need to get on with negotiating the bigger issues around our future partnership to ensure we get a deal that delivers a strong UK and EU," Brexit minister David Davis said in a statement, according to Reuters.

British Finance Minister Philip Hammond and Trade Minister Liam Fox both told the EU that there should be a time-bound transition period.

The finance minister’s Brexit department said it would publish some papers, including plans for a new customs arrangement and how to resolve the problems of a non-existent border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

"We've been crystal clear that issues around our withdrawal and our future partnership are inextricably linked," a source in Britain's Brexit department said.

"These papers show we are ready to broaden out the negotiations."

According to reports, the Brexit negotiations have not begun well due to disagreements among Prime Minister Theresa May's team of ministers about the kind of deal they should be seeking.

Former top British diplomat Simon Fraser said last week the government needed to put forward a clearer position in order to move forward with the Brexit talks.

Since May lost her parliamentary majority in a election gamble in June, infighting between members of her cabinet has appeared, with disagreements on issues including whether freedom of movement of EU nationals should continue after Britain leaves the bloc in 2019.

Negotiations so far have focused on how much the UK should pay to leave the union, what rights British and EU citizens will have, and how to manage a land border to the bloc in Ireland.  

SS