Gulf in expectations for next phase of Brexit talks widens

Theresa May says trade talks will start immediately, contradicting the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker

As the ink on phase one of the Brexit deal was drying, the gulf in expectations for phase two was widening. The British prime minister, Theresa May, declared that trade talks would start "straight away", directly contradicting the European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, who said they would start in March.

As in the first round of talks, the sequencing will be set by the EU and has already been outlined by Juncker and in a European council text on Friday.