The uk representative to the eu will hand over that letter from theresa may signalling the start of two years of negotiations on leaving. Well bring you all the latest news and reaction throughout the day, from across the uk and European Union. Good morning. Im outside the Houses Of Parliament on College Green ahead of the triggering of article 50 which marks the start of the formal process for the uk to leave the eu. The Prime Minister, theresa may, has just left number ten downing st. She is on her way to parliament. She will be addressing mps this lunchtime after Prime Ministers questions. She will be telling mps that today marks the time for the country to come together as it embarks on what she describes as a momentous journey. We embarks on what she describes as a momentousjourney. We know that embarks on what she describes as a momentous journey. We know that the Prime Minister has already signed that letter giving official notice under article 50 of the lisbon treaty. That letter will be delivered later today. The British Ambassador to the eu, Sir Tim Barrow, will deliver the letter to European Council president donald tusk at about lunchtime. The letter is several pages long and sets out mrs mays vision of how brexit negotiations will go. Negotiations will not start properly until the autumn, and have to be completed by october 2018 in order to be ratified by the European Parliament. We can get the thoughts of norman smith he was at the house of commons. This is an historic day . Smith he was at the house of commons. This is an historic dawm is. A genuinely historic day when mrs may hopes the country will come behind brexit. That is a rather optimistic idea because europe has been a great fault line in british politics certainly since the second world war. It is hard to see how that will end, simply with the Brexit Process. As for the letter itself, that will be a key document. We will get the first sense of its contents when mrs may comes here to make a statement at 12 30pm. She will set out the broad outlines the her ambitions for the negotiations, what she hopes to achieve from brexit. Once she sits down then Downing Street will fire up that letter to journalists such as myself, so we can see exactly what mrs mayes says. Crucial will be the sort of deal that that letter suggests mrs may is aiming for. A lot of the letter will be the obvious, it will be a restatement of the Lancaster House agreement, so things like leaving the Single Market, getting back control of immigration, ending the jurisdiction of the European Court ofjustice, we know that. What we dont know is the areas where mrs may is ready to give, to do a deal, to compromise. This morning, the chancellor Philip Hammond made very clear that we are in the business of striking a deal. He slapped down the idea from Boris Johnson that it was absolutely ok just to leave without a deal. He said we will get a deal. He also gave us said we will get a deal. He also gave us an indication of one thing we will compromise on, we will allow eu nationals to keep coming here during the course of the brexit negotiations over the next two yea rs, negotiations over the next two years, and they will still be able to enjoy the full rights they currently enjoy. And he said, we cannot have our cake and eat it. Philip hammond is clearly in the market to compromise. Every negotiation is about give and take on both sides and we have to go into this discussion understanding and accepting that we will have to do some give and take to get the best possible deal for britain. And it has to be a deal but works for britain and for its European Union partners. That is the only way you can geta partners. That is the only way you can get a deal done. I am confident, as we have explored over the last nine months with our eu partners, that we have a sufficient meeting of minds on this issue, that we will be able to reach a deal that will work for us and work for them. Jane, the key phrase there, give and take. We will have to give some ground if we wa nt to ta ke will have to give some ground if we want to take some concessions. The problem therefore mrs may is whatever deal she strikes, she has to come back here to sell it to parliament, and above all to the brexiteers in her own party who have been hugely encouraged by mrs may because they have been talking her language. After she has done a deal, she has got to sell it to parliament and the public. Therein lies the difficulty for mrs may. The eu will wa nt difficulty for mrs may. The eu will want the best deal they can get. Mrs may has to make sure she does not give too much ground, particularly on key areas like immigration, like money, which might make it very hard for her to sell that deal back here at westminster and in the country at large. Thank you, norman. We will talk to some of those individuals in the next couple of minutes. First, lets head to brussels and get the thoughts of my colleague ben brown who is monitoring reaction there for us who is monitoring reaction there for us and they are presumably ready for all of this way you are, ben . It is very carefully choreographed on both sides. We are outside the European Commission building. It isjust over the road where the European Council buildings are that you can see there that the letter will be delivered. Said tim barro is already in there with that letter Sir Tim Barrow. Injust over an with that letter Sir Tim Barrow. In just over an hours time, at 12 20pm your time, in just over an hours time, at 12 20pm yourtime, 1 20pm in just over an hours time, at 12 20pm your time, 1 20pm here, in just over an hours time, at 12 20pm yourtime, 1 20pm here, he will go to donald tusk, the president of the European Council and hand over that letter. It is when donald tusk acknowledges receipt of the letter we gather that article 50 is formally triggered and he will acknowledge receipt of it with a tweet, we hear, and the bdo statement afterwards saying he has received it. We will not get a fuller response from donald tusk for a couple days. A video statement. On friday he will make a Statement Setting out the broad principles by which the eu will conduct the negotiations over the next couple of yea rs. Negotiations over the next couple of years. In theresa mays letter we gather there are the broad para meters gather there are the broad parameters of how she sees the next two years panning out, and echo really of her Lancaster HouseSpeech Backin really of her Lancaster House speech back in january. So, really of her Lancaster House speech back injanuary. So, the negotiations will not kick off really until may orjune. Then you have the french and german elections in may and september. They will probably not start in earnest until the autumn of this year, and they have to be completed by october 2018, in orderfor have to be completed by october 2018, in order for approval from have to be completed by october 2018, in Orderfor Approvalfrom the European Parliament and ratification. It is a pretty tight timetable. Ben, thank you. We will have more from brussels shortly. Lets discuss what lies ahead today and in the weeks and months ahead. Joining me now on College Green is mp dominic raab, who supports leaving the eu, and Shadow Brexit minister matthew pennycook. Dominic raab, a very upbeat day for you . It is very important. We have had nine months of paving the way for negotiations. The cbi showed a survey of their members and they had Manufacturing Confidence at a 20 year high. That is buttressed by political ambition, theresa mays vision of a deal with the eu which is good for all quarters of the uk but also with our european friends. We are focused now on a two year negotiation which lies ahead and focusing on a win win deal. Negotiation which lies ahead and focusing on a winwin deal. Matthew pennycook, we are going ina going in a positive mood and the positive economic scenario . passionately and tirelessly campaigned for a passionately and tirelessly campaigned fora remain passionately and tirelessly campaigned for a remain vote in my constituency but we are where we are and we need to focus on getting the right deal for our country. My colleague keir starmer said that six tests of what we need for the government. We have to be a partner and also have the type of vision for the type of country we want to see asa the type of country we want to see as a result of us leaving. We have yet to see the Prime Minister bringing the country behind her in it genuine consensus. You mentioned the six tests, labour is setting the bar very high with what you want the Prime Minister to be able to achieve. The idea that britain could exit from all of this with exactly the same benefits and access to the Single Market that we currently have is simply not possible, is it . Those are not my words, it was david davis run the dispatch box on the 24th of january. He is looking for a deal on the Single Market that delivers the same benefits that we have now. The Single Market that delivers the same benefits that we have nowm that possible, realistically . Lets see, we are at the start of the negotiations. We are the fifth biggest con me in the world. We have a £60 billion trade deficit with the eu. The clue is in the name, free trade. Lets go into this looking for the win win. I think labours six tests are fairly irrelevant holding position, but that is fine. The country has shifted dramatically sincejune. The country has shifted dramatically since june. If you the country has shifted dramatically sincejune. If you look at all the polls there is strong support for the objective is theresa may has set out. Now we have to go out and deliver them and the way we do that is not by Bad Mouthing Our European Friends but focusing on our interests. One is not talking about bad mouthing but one cannot be a member of the Single Market without the Immigration Issue with that and is that not what people voted against lastjune . Is that not what people voted against last june . Absolutely right. The idea that we could stay part of the Single Market was one of the consensus positions but what we can haveis consensus positions but what we can have is free trade and that is our Starting Point. We will make not just on free trade but on security and military cooperation, the best offer that in independent nation has ever given to the eu. We hope they will accept. We think there is a strong chance they will accept but we are ready for any outcome on these negotiations. You mention security and we are here at westminster one week to the day after the appalling atrocity, the death of a Police Constable and several other people. Is that at all a concern for you that European Countries still have to Work Together for security . A massive issue and i worked in the Foreign Office at the hague and europol. But there are 12 non eu members who have Liaison Officers at europol. There are more american officers at europol than the majority of european states so it is a good example of the collaboration we can Have Without Giving Up control of oui Have Without Giving Up control of our democracy. We can go to these negotiations pointing out the intelligence we put in and the Law Enforcement weeper tin. That is another example of where the eu do not want to lose a valued partner. It is all about win win. Not want to lose a valued partner. It is all about winwin. Matthew pennycook, what are your concerns about security . It is a big concern. It is one of the six tests we have salvaged. I do not think they are holding positions. It might be a win win, lets hope it is. I think there will be trade offs and compromises and we have to hold the government to account. Theresa may is not going to get a deal which is the same as the 12 objectives she set out. There will be compromises. We want to see a strong collaborative partnership, with the cooperation of all these areas. Im sorry cooperation of all these areas. Im sorry we cooperation of all these areas. Im sorry we must leave it there but there are plenty more opportunities to discuss in the two years ahead. Thank you for being with us. Lets just returned to brussels and get more on the views and opinions there. Yes, jane. There. Yes,jane. In there. Yes, jane. Injust there. Yes, jane. In just over an there. Yes, jane. Injust over an hours time, Sirtim Barrow will yes, jane. Injust over an hours time, Sir Tim Barrow will hand over that letter from theresa may signalling the start of brexit, the Brexit Process. Nine months after the referendum, so really historic moment. The eu has been growing throughout its history. Now it is about to shrink for the first time. Lets talk to a conservative member of the parliament for the east midlands. You describe yourself as a pragmatic lever but are you relu cta nt, pragmatic lever but are you reluctant, do you find yourself with mixed emotions today . reluctant, do you find yourself with mixed emotions today . I am pragmatic but not reluctant. We have got to do this but although there are downsides, there are more upside to it. Today is an important day, an important milestone. It is not one that i am celebrating or feeling sad about, it is a welcome moment of clarity that we can now get on with the detail. The clock is ticking from the moment that letter is handed over in just over an from the moment that letter is handed over injust over an hours time or so from here. Can you all see it being done and dusted within that timetable . I think there has been a change of atmosphere and more good will and desire to get this done. Of course people are sad that britain is leaving but they are clear about what we want to achieve andi clear about what we want to achieve and i think they are clear about what they need from a successful relationship between the eu and the uk. There are peoplesjobs relationship between the eu and the uk. There are peoples jobs at sta ke, uk. There are peoples jobs at stake, there is a future relationship that needs to work. That is the prevailing mood here. You do not think there is any sense that people want to punish britain for leaving . There are undoubtedly people with that sense, there are people with that sense, there are people who are so wedded to the project that they would actually risk their peoples on well being to prove that you vision point, but i think they are well outnumbered, particularly at governmental level are specially by people who realise this has got to work and that has to bea this has got to work and that has to be a sensible deal for everybody. One of the key things is the divorce bill sorted out first, the £50 billion or whatever it turns out to be, or is it simultaneously . That is already a bone of contention . M will not be 50 billion, it will be less tha n will not be 50 billion, it will be less than that. Their obligations we have to meet but they will be of a more reasonable nature. This will be a big point but i think what we want to happen is if general european fudge where there will be quite a lot of progress made on the mechanics of brexit, but then there will be talking about the trade deal as well because a gap would not be helpful to anybody. Lets not forget the deal is something which works for the eu 27 as well as us. Very good to talk to, andrew lewer, Conservative Mep for the east midlands. Thank you. Sirtim barrow will hand over that letter at 12 20pm your time. We are not expecting a huge fanfare around it. There will be some still photographs of that very historic moment but nothing more than that. Jane, back to you. Thank you. Lets join our correspondent Catriona Renton in holyrood. Another dimensional going on In Westminster today when we think about negotiations between theresa may and Nicola Sturgeon. Are we expecting any formal comments about what is going on In Westminster today . We are expecting some formal approaches towards the end of the week. Not today, she has ruled that out, to talk about the vote that happened yesterday in holyrood. It isa happened yesterday in holyrood. It is a lot quieter today than it was this time yesterday, when they were heading towards the vote for a second referendum. 62 of people in scotla nd second referendum. 62 of people in scotland voted to remain in the eu of those who voted. That led to this Collision Course between the Scottish Government and the uk government, which culminat