Brexit today: Donald Tusk tells Theresa May EU leaders 'not happy' with her negotiating stance after Downing Street meeting - as it happened

Prime Minister and European Council President hold discussions ahead of Ms May's speech on future UK-EU relationship

Donald Tusk: Theresa May’s plans make trade barriers ‘inevitable’

Theresa May has briefed her Cabinet on a major Brexit speech she is due to deliver tomorrow.

The speech, laying out the Government's plan for the UK's future relationship with the EU, will attempt to offer enough to her Remainer and Eurosceptic backbenchers to stave off potential rebellions.

Ministers said there was "broad agreement" at the Cabinet meeting.

The Prime Minister later met European Council President Donald Tusk for a working lunch at Downing Street, where she briefed him on the speech.

Elsewhere, one of Ms May's predecessors has also delivered a speech. Tony Blair used a trip to Brussels to urge EU leaders to do more to try to stop Brexit.

As it happened...

Key Points

• Theresa May has briefed her ministers on the Brexit speech she is due to deliver on Friday
• Donald Tusk warns the UK 'frictionless trade' will be impossible after Brexit unless it remains in customs union with the EU
• European Parliament says UK Government's concessions on citizens' rights are not enough
• Video emerges showing Theresa May saying there cannot be an open border in Northern Ireland
• Labour extends Ken Livingstone's suspension

[1 March 2018 12:05 · Kristin Hugo]

The threat level posed to England, Scotland and Wales by Northern Ireland-related terrorism has been down graded from "substantial" to "moderate", Amber Rudd has announced.

The Home Secretary said in a written statement that the UK-wide threat level remains at "severe".

[1 March 2018 12:12 · Kristin Hugo]

[1 March 2018 12:22 · Kristin Hugo]

Ken Livingstone has had his suspension from the Labour Party extended, according to reports.

The Jewish News newspaper says the former Mayor of London will be suspended again when his current ban expires in April.

A Labour spokesperson told the paper: 

“Ken Livingstone has been administratively suspended from the Labour Party pending the outcome of an internal party investigation. That suspension starts on the date his membership suspension applied by the national constitutional committee ends on 27 April 2018.”

[1 March 2018 12:37 · Kristin Hugo]

The European Parliament has rejected Theresa May's concessions on the rights of EU citizens coming to the UK during the Brexit transition period. The Prime Minister backed down yesterday and agreed that EU migrants arriving after March 2019 would be granted five-year residency permits instead of the two years that had originally been proposed.

However, Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's Brexit lead, said the concession was not enough.

“We have taken note of the UK government policy statement and the clarification it provides for EU citizens who will go to the UK during the Brexit transition period and will in principle have the right to settle permanently in the UK.

“However, we cannot accept that there will be any form of discrimination between EU citizens who arrive before the start of the transition and after."

[1 March 2018 12:46 · Kristin Hugo]

The Prime Minister's spokesman has just given journalists a run-through of what happened at this morning's Cabinet meeting. Here's a summary from Joe Watts:

The Prime Minister and her Cabinet spent two hours reading and then discussing Theresa May’s big speech this morning.

While they are said to have unanimously agreed it will be a “real step forward”, there is little further detail about their discussion or whether ministers raised any objections.

One potentially telling detail revealed by her spokesman, is that it was a “genuine discussion” and the PM will now go away and “finalise” her speech, suggesting that she could make some changes to keep people happy before delivering it tomorrow.

Ministers were given paper copies of the speech, which the PM said would show how the UK is seeking an “ambitious economic partnership”, to read through before their conversation began.

Every Cabinet minister got to have their say, starting with cool-head Minister for the Cabinet Office David Lidington, then Brexit Secretary David Davis and the others.

Culture Secretary Matt Hancock was not there for the whole time as he had to make a statement to the House of Commons, and Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, also required in the House, sent a note that was read out by the PM.

With a further meeting with Donald Tusk still to come today, Ms May will also be given a flavour of the EU’s likely reaction to her broad proposals before sitting down to put finishing touches to them.

[1 March 2018 13:01 · Kristin Hugo]

The fallout from yesterday's speech by John Major, in which he called on Tory MPs to back a softer Brexit, continues...

[1 March 2018 13:17 · Kristin Hugo]

The deficit reduction target set out by George Osborne when he was Chancellor has finally been met - two years later than forecast. Ben Chu explains all...

[1 March 2018 13:30 · Kristin Hugo]

  ↵Indy exclusive: Tory MPs have tabled new amendments in an attempt to force the Government to give Parliament the right to veto post-Brexit trade deals.

[1 March 2018 13:37 · Lizzy Buchan]

A video has emerged of Theresa May admitting there cannot be an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, if Britain leaves the EU.

The Prime Minister, who was Home Secretary at the time, said there would “have to be” some sort of border to recognise that tariffs may be charged on goods entering and leaving the UK and to account for different immigration rules.

Story here: 

[1 March 2018 13:47 · Lizzy Buchan]

Momentum founder Jon Lansman has also officially launched a bid to be the next General Secretary, after Iain McNicol's resignation last week.

The move could lead to divisions amongst the left-wing of the party, as Unite's Jennie Formby is also standing for the post.