Brexit: UK must leave EU by early 2019, says European Parliament president Martin Schulz

He has warned that it would not be good for the British to vote in Brussels elections while Brexit talks are ongoing

Political Editor

Thursday 22 September 2016 16:03 BST

President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz (Photothek via Getty)

President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz has said he wants the UK out of the European Union by early 2019.

As he prepared for talks in Downing Street, Mr Schulz urged Theresa May towards the "earliest possible triggering of Article 50" which will launch the official Brexit talks process.

He argued it would be wrong for British voters to take part in EU Parliament elections while the negotiations were on-going. Number 10 hit back saying the most important thing is securing “the best deal for Britain.”

Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty begins a two-year countdown during which negotiations would have to be complete, so it would need to be invoked by May next year for talks to be finished by the time EU elections come.

In a statement issued ahead of his meeting with Mrs May at Number 10, Mr Schulz said: "The future deal between the EU and the UK must be good for all sides and must be one which allows the UK and the EU to keep working closely together on various aspects.

"The UK has decided to leave the EU but it will continue to be a European country with values and geopolitical interests which are common to the rest of the continent.

Boris Johnson never wanted Brexit and only backed Leave to become ‘heir apparent’ to Tory throne

"I will also reiterate that the four freedoms of the single market - goods, capital, services and persons - are equally important.

"In London I will also stress why the European Parliament favours the earliest possible triggering of Article 50, which is a pre-condition to opening negotiations."

So far Mrs May has publically said she would not trigger it before the end of 2016, though European Council President Donald Tusk claimed he was told by the British Prime Minister it would be implemented in early 2017.

What experts have said about Brexit

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1/11What experts have said about Brexit

What experts have said about Brexit

Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond

The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit “One of Britain’s great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs” “This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the world’s leading international financial centre.”

Reuters

What experts have said about Brexit

Yanis Varoufakis

Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: “You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear”

Getty Images

What experts have said about Brexit

Michael O’Leary

Ryanair boss says UK will be ‘screwed’ by EU in Brexit trade deals: “I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how ‘the world will want to trade with us’. The world will want to screw you – that's what happens in trade talks,” he said. “They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade”

Getty

What experts have said about Brexit

Tim Martin

JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: “We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea"

PA

What experts have said about Brexit

Mark Carney

Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: “I am absolutely serene about the … judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC”

Reuters

What experts have said about Brexit

Christine Lagarde

IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: “We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making”

Getty Images

What experts have said about Brexit

Inga Beale

Lloyd’s chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe”

EPA

What experts have said about Brexit

Colm Kelleher

President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London ‘will suffer’ as result of the EU referendum: “I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much”

What experts have said about Brexit

Richard Branson

Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and that’s happening all over the country"

Getty Images

What experts have said about Brexit

Barack Obama

US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth"

Getty Images

What experts have said about Brexit

Kristin Forbes

American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been “less stormy than many expected” following the shock referendum result: “For now…the economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up – and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction”

Getty

A Downing Street spokesperson said the Prime Minister had “made her position clear” on Article 50, adding: “Her priority is getting the best deal for Britain.”

Mr Schulz, a member of Germany's centre-left Social Democrats who leads the 28-nation EU's legislative assembly, said he "understands that the British government wants to take its time", despite him pushing for a quick process.

He is in Britain for a two-day trip where he will hold a series of talks on Brexit. After his meeting with the Prime Minister he will meet the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

He will then meet Jeremy Corbyn on Friday before going on to give a talk at the London School of Economics called The EU and the UK - parting ways but working together.

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