UK appears to capitulate on sequencing on first day of Brexit talks - as it happened

Here’s our report on the first day of talks. You should read it. And it’s goodnight from us.

Here are the main points from the press conference given by David Davis, the Brexit secretary, and Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, at the end of the first day of the Brexit negotiations.

• Britain has abandoned attempts to force the EU to start talks on a future trade deal immediately, and instead the UK’s “exit bill”, and other issues, will come first. David and Barnier have agreed a two-page schedule for talks (pdf), including the dates for five rounds of negotiations stretching into October. As the EU demanded, this involves the “exit bill”, the rights of EU nationals and Ireland being discussed before talks on a future trade deal start later in the process. Davis rejected claims that this amounted to a climbdown, arguing that later trade talks will take place in parallel with talks on the exit arrangements , but there is no doubt that the UK has had to back down from its original demands. (See 6.07pm and 6.33pm.)

• Barnier has said that a “fair deal” for the UK is possible. And he has promised never to work against the UK. He said:

For both the European Union and the United Kingdom, a fair deal is possible and far better than no deal. That is what I said to David today. That’s why we will work all the time with the UK and never against the UK. There will be no hostility on my side. I will display a constructive attitude firmly based on the interests and support of the 27.

Davis also sounded positive. He said that the talks had been “very productive” and that a deal was “eminently achievable”.

• But Barnier has also said he is not planning to make “concessions” to the UK. Asked if there would be any concession from the EU, he said:

I am not in a frame of mind to make concessions, or ask for concessions. It’s not about punishment, it is not about revenge.

Basically, we are implementing the decision taken by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, and unravel 43 years of patiently-built relations.

I will do all I can to put emotion to one side and stick to the facts, the figures, and the legal basis, and work with the United Kingdom to find an agreement in that frame of mind ...

The United Kingdom has decided to leave the European Union, it is not the other way around. The United Kingdom is going to leave the European Union, single market and the customs union, not the other way around. So, we each have to assume our responsibility and the consequences of our decisions. And the consequences are substantial.

• Davis has said that on Monday next week the UK government will publish its proposals to guarantee the rights of EU nationals living in the UK, with reciprocal rights for Britons living on the continent. He said:

Ever since the referendum, I have been clear that my first priority is to provide certainty to European Union citizens living in the United Kingdom, and to UK citizens resident in the European Union — and I know Michel shares that aspiration too.

So now that the negotiations have started, we are determined to get on with the job and deliver that certainty as soon as possible.

The prime minister will later this week update European leaders on the UK’s approach to this issue at the European Council.

We will then publish a detailed paper, outlining our offer on Monday, which I believe will form the right basis on which to reach agreement.

I will also be briefing members of other parties on privy council terms, as well as briefing parliament more generally.

That’s all from me for today.

Thanks for the comments.

Tim Farron, the Lib Dem leader, claims David Davis has been “humiliated”. In a statement Farron said:

David Davis said the row of the summer would be over the sequencing of Brexit talks, and one day in he has capitulated.

The man is a joker. Despite the government’s posturing, the EU was clear today it has not made a single concession to David Davis. He has been utterly humiliated.

In the press conference David Davis, the Brexit secretary, rejected (with more than a hint of tetchiness) the suggestion that he has caved in to the EU over the sequencing of the Brexit talks. (See 5.58pm.)

But the commentariat isn’t convinced. The verdict from political journalists and commentators is in. And it’s clear - he caved.

From ITV’s political editor Robert Peston

From the Guardian’s diplomatic editor, Patrick Wintour

From the New Statesman’s Stephen Bush

From the Daily Mirror’s Jason Beattie

From the Guardian’s Paul Johnson

Q: [To Davis] You said recently the row over sequencing would be “the row of the summer”. (See 6.07pm.) Have you given up on that?

Davis reads from the article 50 letter. He says later trade will be negotiated alongside the other issues, as the UK government demanded.

Barnier says it makes sense to proceed in the manner that has been agreed.

Q: [To Barnier] Have you have to make any concessions to the British?

He says the UK has decided to leave the EU, not the other way round. The consequences will be significant.

He is not out to punish the UK, he says.

He says he will do all he can to put emotion to one side and stick to the facts.

And that’s it. The press conference is over.

I will post a summary soon.

The Mirror’s Jack Blanchard has tweeted what David Davis said earlier this year, when he said that if the EU did not agree to negotiate trade at the same time as everything else, that would trigger “the row of the summer”.

Q: {To Davis] Why does Ireland not get its own set of talks devoted to it?

The questioner refers to this passage from the document agreed today. (See 5.59pm.)

The following initial negotiating groups have been established.

Citizens’ rights

Financial Settlement;

Other Separation issues.

In addition, a dialogue on Ireland / Northern Ireland has been launched under the authority of the Coordinators.

Davis says that the questioner is reading this wrong. Ireland is not in one of the three groups because it is more important.

Barnier makes a similar point, saying Ireland is being considered at the highest level.

Q: [To Barnier] How confident are you that Davis will still be here to conclude these talks, given the instability of the Conservative government and its reliance on the DUP?

Barnier says he follows UK politics closely. But it is not for him to comment. As far as he is concerned, he is negotiating with Davis, he says.

Here is a link to the document setting out what has been agreed today. Mina Andreeva is deputy chief spokeswoman for the European commission.

Q: [To Davis] You have agreed to conduct these reports as they EU wanted. Does that reveal your lack of leverage? [The government wanted to start talks on a future trade deal at the same time as talks on money and the rights of EU nationals, not later as has been agreed.]

Davis says that what matters is how the talks end, not how they start.

He says that at the end nothing will be agreed until everything is agreed.

What has been decided today is consistent with the government’s article 50 letter, he says.

• Davis rejects claims that he has to cave in to EU demands over talks timetable.

Q: [To Davis] What sort of Brexit do you want?

Davis says the position has not changed. It is as set out in Theresa May’s Lancaster House speech, he says.

They are now taking questions.

Q: When will you come up with plans for Ireland?

Davis says Ireland took up more time than anything else. They focused on the political issues, and the desire to maintain an open border.

This is a technically difficult issue, but it is solvable, he says.

This is right at the top of priorities to be resolved.

Barnier says this is one of the most sensitive issues facing the talks.

He says he has been in contact with the new Irish taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.

Without producing a new hard border, they have to find rules for goods and services, without undermining the integrity of the single market, he says.

He says they hope to find “imaginative and concrete solutions”.

David Davis is speaking now.

He says the talks were “very constructive”. He says a deal is “eminently achievable”.

• David Davis says a deal is “eminently achievable”.

He says they will achieve more if they work together.

And nowhere is this more clear than in relation to the rights of citizens, he says.

He says Theresa May will brief EU leaders on her plans at the EU council on Thursday.

And on Monday the government will publish its plans for guaranteeing the rights of EU citizens.

• May to publish plans for guaranteeing the rights of EU nationals in the UK next week, says Davis.

Davis finishes by quoting Churchill. He says the pessimistic seems difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees possibility in every difficulty.

Barnier says it will be up to the European council, led by Donald Tusk, to decide later if sufficient progress has been made on these issues to allow talks to move on to trade.

He says, in leaving the EU, it will no longer have the same rights and opportunities as EU members.

But the EU can build a new partnership with the UK, and that will contribute to stability on the continent.

He says “a fair deal is possible, and far better than no deal”.

• Barnier says “a fair deal is possible, and far better than no deal”.

• He says he will work all the time “with the UK, and never against the UK”.

Barnier ends by quoting Jean Monnet, one of the founders of the EU. Asked if he was optimistic or pessimistic, he said he was neither; he was determined, he said.

David Davis, the Brexit secretary, and Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, are holding their press conference.

Barnier says today’s session was very useful. They got off on the right foot as the clock is ticking.

They agreed on dates, on organisation and on priorities, he says.

• Barnier says he and Davis have agreed on dates, on organisation and on priorities.

He says they want to first ensure that the UK’s withdrawal takes place in an orderly manner.

The aim is to have one week of negotiations every month.

The time in between will be used to work on proposals.

In the first stage, they will conduct the talks in three groups: citizens’ rights; finances; and other issues.

Those three groups will report to Davis and Barnier.

They will discuss Ireland, including the maintenance of the common travel area.

The Tory/DUP talks about their proposed “confidence and supply” deal may not wrap up any time soon. Asked about them in Belfast, the senior DUP assembly member Simon Hamilton said:

They will take as long as they take. We are working away at them and will continue to work away at them. We are hopeful of getting resolution to them as quickly as we possibly can.

Sky’s David Blevins tweeted this earlier.

Here is another picture from the room where the Brexit talks were taking place.

View image in fullscreen

Sir Keir Starmer, the shadow Brexit secretary, has written an article for the Guardian setting out Labour’s demands for Brexit.

Here’s an extract.

The prime minister’s failure to secure a mandate or a majority has also caused huge uncertainty about the government’s Brexit approach. The chancellor clearly advocates a softening of strategy. Yet Brexiteers in the cabinet and on Conservative backbenches will fiercely oppose any such change of emphasis. May lacks the authority to either drive through her stated Brexit approach or to change course. In the weeks to come she will have to choose. No wonder the German foreign minister has spoken of a “difficult, even impossible situation”, where the prime minister is “without clear majorities and [a] clear negotiation strategy”.

The belligerent approach May has adopted has also served to weaken our relations with the EU, alienated our allies and left Britain short of goodwill acrossEurope. This really matters, because, if we are to deliver a Brexit deal that works for Britain and delivers a strong new partnership with the EU, we will need to work with and not against the other 27 member states.