May Set For 'Frank' Brexit Talks With Merkel

Theresa May faces two daunting challenges on the day she completes her first week in office as Prime Minister.

At noon, she faces Prime Minister's Questions, in the final session before the Commons rises for the summer recess.

And if Jeremy Corbyn is defeated by challenger Owen Smith, it will be one of only three PMQs in which she will face him, with just two more in September before the result of Labour's leadership election.

Immediately after PMQs the Prime Minister will head for Berlin for a working dinner with the German chancellor Angela Merkel, widely regarded as Europe's most powerful woman.

Mrs May's admirers have long claimed she is Britain's Angela Merkel, so their meeting will be studied carefully for the body language between them and any references to the comparison.

According to No 10, in what will be her first overseas visit as Prime Minister, she will aim to build relationships with partners across Europe as the UK prepares to negotiate its exit from the EU.

After Berlin, the Prime Minister will travel to Paris for talks on Thursday evening with President Hollande who, like Chancellor Merkel, is facing re-election next year.

During both visits, she is expected to hold one-to-one talks and try to establish personal relations that will pave the way for open and frank discussions in the months ahead as the UK negotiates to leave the European Union.

The Prime Minister is expected to repeat a point she made in early phone calls with these leaders: that it will take some time to prepare for those negotiations as the UK government consults with the devolved administrations and different industry sectors to determine what our objectives should be for that negotiation.

Speaking ahead of travelling to Berlin, the Prime Minister said: "I am determined that Britain will make a success of leaving the European Union and that's why I have decided to visit Berlin and Paris so soon after taking office.

"These visits will be an opportunity to forge a strong working relationship that we can build upon and which I hope to develop with more leaders across the European Union in the weeks and months ahead.

"I do not underestimate the challenge of negotiating our exit from the European Union and I firmly believe that being able to talk frankly and openly about the issues we face will be an important part of a successful negotiation.

"I also want to deliver a very clear message about the importance we attach to our bilateral relationship with our European partners, not just now but also when we have left the European Union.

"These relationships have been vital in the past and they will be vital in the future as we continue to work together to keep our people safe and to support economic growth that benefits people across our countries."  

Government lawyers told a court in London on Tuesday that Mrs May had made it clear she did not intend to deploy Article 50, triggering the process of leaving the EU, before the end of 2016.

Downing Street, however, stressed that this was a decision for the Government to make.

:: Live coverage of Theresa May's first Prime Minister's Questions on Sky News at midday.