UK Prime Minister Theresa May will is today set to call on business chiefs to support her draft Brexit deal before upcoming negotiations with Brussels.
May is expected to tell the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) that she is confident of finalising a deal at the European Council in the lead-up to Sunday’s summit to sign the Brexit papers.
According to Downing Street, her words were: "During that time I expect us to hammer out the full and final details of the framework that will underpin our future relationship. I am confident that we can strike a deal at the Council that I can take back to the House of Commons."
While May managed to scrape her draft bill through Cabinet last week, she will face bigger challenges when it comes to pushing it through parliament. Alongside formalising the agreement, the Brussels discussions will also include the formation of a road-map for post-Brexit negotiations on the future EU-UK relationship.
Today, she is expected to tell the CBI that her deal addresses the issues that are important to the British people, including control over borders, fiscal control, and control over lawmaking.
The issue of immigration is of particular concern for UK businesses, who fear a significant skills gap after Brexit. To counter these concerns, May is set to pledge a "more streamlined application processes" that will "attract the brightest and the best from around the world.” The difference being, according to Downing Street, that “once we leave the EU, we will be fully in control of who comes here.”