Aftermath of the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum

A second UK referendum on the UK's withdrawal from the EU will not happen, Prime Minister Theresa May said in an interview with Bild.

The British government on Jan. 11 ruled out paying the European Union to access the single market after leaving the bloc, as Prime Minister Theresa May tried to reassure finance sector players over Brexit.

This is contained in the "UK and the future of the Western Balkans" report published by the Select Committee on International Relations.

Britain could see a post-Brexit transition period run until the end of 2020, with a new trade deal in place by January 2021, a member of the EU’s negotiating team said on Dec. 18.

Theresa May will insist on Monday that she will try to sign new free trade deals during the UK's Brexit transition period, setting herself on a collision course with Brussels, The Independent reported.

EU leaders have agreed to move Brexit talks on to the second phase but called for "further clarity" from the UK about its future intentions, according to BBC.

Talks will now move on to the long-term relationship between the UK and EU.

The first issue to be discussed, at talks next month, will be the terms of an expected two-year transition phase after the UK's March 2019 exit.

Britain and the European Union reached a historic deal on Brexit divorce terms on Dec. 8 that allows them to open up talks on a future relationship after the split.

The United Kingdom and Ireland could reach agreement in hours on how to run their post-Brexit Irish land border, paving the way for a deal that would remove the last obstacle to opening free trade talks with the European Union,Reuters reports.
 

The European Union has handed Ireland an effective veto over any Brexit deal, increasing pressure on the prime minister to make further concessions on the border issue, The Times reports.

Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, said any agreement between London and Brussels that was unacceptable to Ireland was also unacceptable to the EU.

British negotiators are still working out a deal with the European Union, Treasury minister Liz Truss said on Nov. 29, calling reports that the government has agreed a sum of money to pay the Brexit bill "media speculation".