What does Chancellor Philip Hammond's increasingly vocal stance on Brexit say about his intentions, his prime minister and his party

The EU's chief negotiator insists that a "fair deal is possible and far better than no deal", adding we will work "with and never against the UK".

Mr Barnier adds that he will approach the talks constructively in co-operation with the European Parliament, saying there will be "no hostility" from me.

Leo Varadkar says he is 'reassured' about a deal between the Conservative Party and the DUP.

Mr Barnier and Mr Davis will work personally on the big issues, focusing on "lifting obstacles" while their main officials, Oliver Robbins on the UK side and Sabine Weyand on the EU, will concentrate on issues relating to the Irish border.

Mr Barnier says he wants to reach an agreement on those three key issues - citizens' rights, the so-called divorce bill and other separation issues - as quickly as possible before moving on to "scoping out" a future partnership agreement.

There has been agreement on dates and priorities for negotiation, Mr Barnier says. The two sides will start by "lifting the uncertainty caused by Brexit" and then move on to discussing the future partnership arrangement.

There will be a week of talks every month which will be broken down into three areas - citizens' rights, financial settlements and other separation issues.

Mr Barnier begins in French. He says he was happy to welcome his counterpart to Brussels. This was an important useful opening session, he says, before moving into English, saying it was "useful to start off on the right foot as the clock is ticking".

The two men are at their respective podiums now for the joint press conference. Michel Barnier is speaking first.

The Scottish government should have a seat at the Brexit negotiating table, a Conservative MEP has said.

Ian Duncan, who is expected to be appointed as a Scottish Office minster, said the devolved nations should be able to "see exactly what is going on".

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The Barnier-Davis press conference is fast approaching. The flags are in place in the EU's Brussels HQ and the snappers are waiting.

Roger Harrabin
BBC environment analyst

Image source, AFP

Any Brexit changes to the UK's wildlife laws will increase - not reduce - environmental protection, Michael Gove has pledged.

The new environment secretary said he wanted to enhance current rules safeguarding Nature wherever possible.

He said he would discuss shifting the use of farm grants after 2022 in order to enhance the countryside.

Environmentalists welcomed his promises, but some are sceptical whether they will actually be met.

Mr Gove made his comments to BBC Farming Today.

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The Spectator

According to The Spectator's James Kirkup, Brexit is like life. "The journey matters more than the final destination. Instead of fixating on where we will, eventually, end up, pay more attention to the things that happen along the way," he says.

"As Brexit talks start, there are abundant signs of a possible compromise on Britain’s exit, or at least, on the timing of that exit. Yes, the Article 50 period will, absent an agreement to the contrary, expire in March 2019 and with it Britain’s formal membership of the EU.

But what follows might not look or feel like the clean break that some voters have imagined. Among British politicians of all persuasions, there is, once again, a growing conviction that Britain cannot leap out of the EU in 21 months’ time with just a Free Trade Agreement, or perhaps even just WTO rules to break the fall. A transitional deal is on the cards – assuming the EU27 will agree."

Senior DUP representative and former Stormont executive minister Simon Hamilton has said any deal with the Conservative Party would benefit the whole of the UK, not just Northern Ireland.

Negotiations on an arrangement where the DUP would effectively prop up a Conservative government are still going on.

Asked in Belfast if the talks would be finalised this week, Mr Hamilton said:

Earlier, the Prime Minister condemned last night's attack on people close to a mosque in Finsbury Park, north London, in which one man died and at least nine others were injured. She had chaired a meeting of the government's emergency Cobra committee.

Theresa May said:

There is "frustration in Europe" that Theresa May did not get the government majority she wanted following the general election earlier this month, BBC correspondent Christian Fraser said.

It was reported that European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker had wanted Mrs May to call a snap election to get a strong mandate for the Brexit negotiations, Christian said.

Theresa May will be meeting the EU's other 27 leaders later this week and will "have to explain" how she is going to get any Brexit deal through the House of Commons, BBC correspondent Christian Fraser has said.

She will also have to say if she still plans to withdraw Britain from the customs union and single market, despite those in the remain camp who indicate "the position has to soften".

But Christian says the deal Brexit Secretary David Davis brought to Brussels looked very similar to the one he set out six months ago.

BBC News Channel

Brexit negotiations are "going to get tough" when it becomes clear Theresa May's agenda cannot be delivered, former Lib Dem business secretary Sir Vince Cable has warned.

He urged people not to read too much into today's talks between Brexit Secretary David Davis and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, which appear "perfectly friendly and amicable".

He argues that there are "big, complex decisions ahead and very little time", and says on top of that, the British government's view "appears to be rapidly changing".

He says the government will have to work with opposition parties to get concensus on its Great Repeal Bill, which sets out the government's proposals for ensuring a functioning statute book once the UK has left the EU.

He hopes the talks will result in agreement on cash and the status of British nationals living in Europe, but says trade deals will take "many years", he says.

Sir Vince adds that large numbers of people do not want to see a so-called hard Brexit. In his view a soft Brexit will keep the UK within the customs union, avoid a hard border in Northern Ireland, protect manufacturing supply chains and will not tear up relations with the EU "that will do inestimable damage" to the UK, he says.

Katya Adler
Europe Editor

The words "Keep Calm and Negotiate" are splashed across a coffee mug in the EU chief Brexit negotiator's office.

Faced with a UK in political turmoil, as Brexit negotiations now finally start, Frenchman Michel Barnier is keen to embody the British motto about Keeping Calm and Carrying On.

He's helped by the EU's negotiating timetable. Phase One which began today focuses solely on the divorce - the UK leaving the EU.

And although there are likely to be arguments down the line about an exit bill - the two sides could get things off to a positive start with a mutually generous deal for EU citizens remaining in the UK as well as for UK citizens living in the EU after Brexit.

Of course Britain is also under terrible time pressure to discuss its future relationship.

Brussels views this as Phase Two of the talks - where the UK pushes for whatever Brexit it decides it wants plus agrees any transition period deemed necessary.

The EU says talks must finish by November 2018 in order to give the parliaments of 27 EU nations as well as the European Parliament - and its expected the British parliament - the chance to vote on a final deal before the Brexit process legally ends four months later.

EU countries can vote to extend the deadline but they're far from keen. Britain and its vexed relationship with the EU is seen in Brussels as having dominated the bloc's agenda for far too long already.

The new Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar opened his comments to journalists in Downing Street with a joke about the film Love Actually, which includes scenes where a fictional PM, played by Hugh Grant, dances around rooms and down the stairs at Number 10.

He said it was his first time in No 10, he had been "a little thrilled" - and had been reminded of the film - although his hopes of seeing that stiarcase were dashed when it was pointed out to him that that scene had been filmed elsewhere.