In a hotly-anticipated speech in which she sought to define the country’s future as a global player, Theresa May said the final exit deal would be put to parliament for a vote.

Key points

- Britain will quit the single market, but wants a new free trade agreement with the European Union.

- Wants Britain to look beyond Europe and strike free trade deals all around the world.

- Final Brexit agreement will be put to both UK houses of parliament for a vote.

- Rejects the idea of partial membership of EU.

- Key priority is to guarantee the rights of EU citizens already in Britain.

- Britain doesn’t want EU to split up.

- Brexit was about restoring parliamentary sovereignty, not rejection of our shared values with EU.

The single market

May’s statement that the UK will leave the single market is by far the clearest indiction she has given so far of her plans for the future.

There has been months of criticism that she has not been sufficiently transparent.

“I want to be clear;what I am proposing cannot mean membership of the single market,” May told an audience of foreign diplomats and the UK’s own team of Brexit negotiators.

“Instead, we seek the greatest possible access to it through a new, comprehensive, bold and ambitious free trade agreement.” (Euronews)