Brexit starts - and it’s going to be a rough road out of the EU

“The British want to get straight into the nitty-gritty of citizens’ rights and the future relationship between the two,” says Simon Tilford, deputy director of the London-based Centre for European Reform.

“Obviously they understand they need to negotiate the divorce settlement alongside that but they want to be doing it simultaneously.

“The EU, not so much. They want to talk about money, they might then talk about citizens’ rights but only when they have an agreement on all of the outstanding things to do with the divorce will they get serious talking about the future deal.”...

...“It’s going to have to pay, so it’s a question of how much it pays and how the British government can spin those payments,” says Tilford, adding that any payment May announces would put her in hot water at home.

“Politically in the UK, that would be toxic. But at the same time, if it doesn’t pay, the EU will resist or refuse to move on to the much more important negotiations for Britain over the future trading relationship.”