Britain and its European Union partners clashed on Monday over which side should make the next move to unblock Brexit talks, despite concerns they will miss a deadline for a divorce deal and that London is heading for a chaotic departure.
Prime Minister Theresa May made clear in a speech she delivered to parliament that she hoped her EU partners would make proposals at a new round of talks opening the way to the next stage of negotiations, saying "the ball is in their court".
But even before she had delivered her address, an EU spokesman hit back in Brussels, saying "the ball is entirely in the UK court for the rest to happen".
May is desperate to try to regain some of her authority and refocus on talks to unravel 40 years of union after a speech at her party conference last week, marred by a repetitive cough, a prankster and a stage malfunction, left her weaker than ever.
She has so far fought off attempts to unseat her by critics already angry over an ill-judged election when she lost her governing Conservatives' majority. But her weakness has opened the door for many in the party to challenge her Brexit strategy with just 18 months to go before Britain leaves the EU.
With Brussels quietly preparing for a collapse in the talks and Britain getting ready for what May calls "every eventuality", some officials and business chiefs worry the country will crash out of the EU without a deal.
Speaking in parliament, May said her negotiators had made progress on the first phase of talks, tackling the rights of expatriates and the border with EU-member Ireland, and that she was determined to secure a new partnership with the other 27 members of the wealthy political and trade bloc.
"Achieving that partnership will require leadership and flexibility, not just from us but from our friends, the 27 nations of the EU," she told a raucous session of parliament.
"And as we look forward to the next stage, the ball is in their court. But I am optimistic we will receive a positive response."
But the EU stuck to its terms: "There is a clear sequencing to these talks and there has been so far no solution found on step one, which is the divorce proceedings," European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a regular briefing. "So the ball is entirely in the UK court for the rest to happen."
"SEE WHAT HAPPENS"
May, who hosted businesses on Monday to listen to their Brexit concerns, is keen to push the talks beyond a discussion of the divorce to try to offer firms some certainty about future trading conditions.
According to a source familiar with the matter, May told business leaders that for her, a roughly two-year transitional agreement was non-negotiable. "It will happen," the source said when asked what May had spoken about.
She also said her government had no intention of revoking Article 50, which triggered the Brexit talks in March this year, and stopping Britain's departure.
But a lack of progress in talks some 15 months after Britain voted to leave the EU in a referendum has added pressure on May, who was criticised by the opposition for failing to offer any clarity on what the future relationship will look like.
"Now the reality for this Tory (Conservative) government is beginning to bite, but if things do not improve, the reality may soon begin to bite for the jobs and living standards of the people of this country," said Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition Labour Party.
A report that aerospace manufacturer BAE Systems is planning to cut more than 1,000 jobs did little to ease those concerns that without progress in the talks, firms will start to make staffing and relocation decisions.
EU negotiators say that while they see no big breakthrough at the summit next week, they may offer May a hand by offering hope of a shift at the next scheduled meeting in mid-December.
Aides to May have signalled that the prime minister has accepted that her October deadline will not be met despite a speech in Italy last month which attempted to reset the tone of the difficult negotiations.
But some pro-Brexit campaigners are calling on the prime minister to get ready to step away from the talks - underlining the deep divisions in the Conservative Party.
Those differences were aired again on Monday with negative briefings in the local media against finance minister Philip Hammond, who supports prolonging the status quo with the EU for as long as possible, and foreign minister Boris Johnson, who angered some Conservatives for setting his own Brexit red lines.
Some have suggested that May will reshuffle her cabinet, but her spokesman said she had full confidence in both ministers.
"We are fast reaching the point when the prime minister should assert the authority of her office over the negotiations and call time," Bernard Jenkin, a Conservative lawmaker, wrote in the Guardian newspaper.
John Baron, another pro-Brexit campaigner, called on the government to "prepare more thoroughly for a 'no deal'".
"I have long believed that the EU Commission primarily wants to punish Britain for daring to leave the organisation," he said. "We should have no fears about a 'no deal' scenario."
Reuters
Tue Oct 10 2017
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May gives a speech in Complesso Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Italy September 22, 2017. REUTERS / File
Perkhidmatan jet di Subang mula beroperasi pada suku ketiga 2024 - Menteri Pengangkutan
Perkhidmatan jet di Lapangan Terbang Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah (LTSAAS) di Subang akan mula beroperasi pada suku ketiga tahun ini, kata Menteri Pengangkutan Anthony Loke.
MOSTI akan pastikan peralatan, kelengkapan hadapi bencana kimia mencukupi - Chang
MOSTI akan memastikan peralatan dan kelengkapan agensi dan jabatan berkaitan kimia di bawah kementerian itu mencukupi dalam menghadapi sebarang bencana melibatkan bahan kimia.
Trafik udara berkembang 16.1 peratus pada suku pertama tahun ini
Trafik penumpang udara berkembang 16.1 peratus kepada 22.6 juta penumpang pada suku pertama tahun ini selepas dipacu oleh trafik udara antarabangsa.
Panasonic Beauty: Perkenal pengering rambut nanocare, eh-NA0J
Panasonic Beauty: Perkenal pengering rambut nanocare, eh-NA0J
Lima dimasukkan ke hospital di Terengganu kerana cuaca panas
Anggota tentera antara lima individu yang dimasukkan ke hospital susulan cuaca panas yang melanda Terengganu sepanjang April lalu.
Satya Nadella kongsi visi Microsoft untuk Malaysia
Ketua Pengarang Astro AWANI, Ashwad Ismail berpeluang bersua muka dengan Ketua Eksekutif Microsoft, Satya Nadella, di ibu negara, bagi memahami dengan lebih mendalam tentang agenda AI Microsoft, serta peluang yang terbuka demi kemakmuran ekonomi negara ini.
AWANI Ringkas: JAKIM buka talian khas terima aduan
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Tiada semakan selepas 13 tahun: Kenaikan gaji penjawat awam wajar, munasabah dan adil - Sim
Semakan gaji penjawat awam yang diumumkan Anwar bersempena dengan Hari Pekerja semalam adalah wajar dan munasabah, mengambil kira peningkatan kecekapan perkhidmatan kerajaan.
Menangis di depan Kaabah walaupun hakikatnya kami buta - OKU penglihatan
"Walaupun kami tak nampak, apabila berada di depan pintu Kaabah, kami berasa hiba dan terus menangis sebab dapat merasakan kelainan dengan keadaan nyaman dan sejuk yang tidak sama dengan tempat lain."
Bursa Malaysia ditutup kukuh, didorong belian semasa harga murah
Bursa Malaysia ditutup tinggi pada Khamis, didorong aktiviti pembelian semasa harga murah yang muncul susulan pengambilan untung pada Selasa.
Tak sedar aksi dirakam, penyampai BBC mohon maaf kepada penonton
Seorang penyampai berita saluran BBC memohon maaf atas selepas tidak sengaja menunjukkan jari tengah ketika mula bersiaran di televisyen.
Parlimen Britain sahkan laporan Boris Johnson berbohong
Ini sekaligus memberikan satu lagi tamparan kepada kerjaya politik bekas Perdana Menteri itu.
Boris Johnson didapati bersalah kerana 'penghinaan berulang' terhadap Parlimen
Siasatan mendapati bekas perdana menteri Britain Boris Johnson "berulang kali menghina" Parlimen berikutan penafiannya mengenai skandal "partygate".
Boris Johnson letak jawatan sebagai ahli parlimen
Bekas Perdana Menteri itu akui sedih apabila mengambil keputusan letak jawatan.
Kerajaan Britain diberi lebih masa serah mesej WhatsApp Boris Johnson
Hakim memberi tempoh sehingga Khamis, menyerahkan mesej dari aplikasi WhatsApp dan diari Johnson sebagai sebahagian daripada siasatannya.
Pengerusi BBC letak jawatan selepas laporan beliau terlibat dalam pinjaman untuk Boris Johnson
Pengerusi BBC Britain meletak jawatan pada Jumaat berikutan laporan yang mendapati beliau melanggar kod kerajaan.
'Tiada bukti saya mengelirukan Parlimen' - Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson menafikan beliau sengaja mengelirukan Dewan Rakyat dalam skandal parti di pejabat Downing Street.
Boris Johnson dipilih bertanding di Uxbridge, bagi pilihan raya umum akan datang
Pilihan raya umum akan datang di United Kingdom dijangka berlangsung selewat-lewatnya pada Januari 2025.
PM UK: Boris Johnson tarik diri, Rishi Sunak calon kegemaran
Percubaan kali pertama Sunak ialah pada musim panas lalu berikutan peletakan jawatan Johnson, tetapi kalah kepada Liz Truss, yang meletak jawatan Khamis lalu.
Boris Johnson tidak akan sertai perlumbaan jadi PM
Beliau memutuskan bahawa ia adalah satu keputusan yang tidak wajar untuk berbuat demikian pada masa ini.