UK government agrees negotiating mandate for EU talks - PM's spokesman

Senior British ministers have agreed the government's negotiating mandate for talks to agree a future relationship with the European Union, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said on Tuesday. The government will publish the mandate on Thursday before the first round of negotiations in Brussels on Monday.

"It was a very smooth process to agree our approach ... We look forward to engaging with the EU constructively," the spokesman said, adding it was "based on other existing FTAs (Free Trade Agreements) between the EU and like-minded sovereign nations." "The UK's primary objective in the negotiations is to ensure we restore our economic and political independence on Jan. 1, 2021."