Labour's Jenny Chapman says she thinks Theresa May's Brexit speech was "very, very weak, disappointing, empty and clearly leaves so many questions unanswered".

She says the PM's commitment to a transitional period was what "everybody knew was an inevitability".

BBC News Channel

BBC political editor Norman Smith says "the balance was very heavily on the mood music" in Theresa May's speech.

She told EU leaders that "it's in your self-interest" to reach a trade deal but, Norman adds, the speech was short on detailed Brexit proposals.

"I didn't hear that substantive bit of detail that seemed to fundamentally change the dynamic on EU nationals," he says.

And Norman thinks Mrs May's reassertion that "no deal is better than a bad deal" was significant.

"That is where we are heading unless these talks move ahead," he says. "I thought it was very interesting that Mrs May is not resiling from that."

Theresa May says she hopes people in Brussels, Berlin and across Europe will see her speech as the UK setting out the opportunity to work together on a strong partnership that will deepen prosperity in the EU and UK.

She hopes they will "respond in a way of partnership and friendship because that's what the UK is offering", adding that it is in Britain's national interest for the EU to continue to be strong.

Image source, bb

Theresa May says members of the public "would say to us is we want you to continue a partnership, a cooperation that keeps us safe in the UK and across the rest of Europe".

Brexit presents an opportunity "for both of us in the UK and EU to come to a new partnership", the UK PM says, one that really shows "a great future for the EU and UK".

The UK is in a completely different relationship with the EU than Norway or Canada, Theresa May has stressed.

"That gives us an opportunity to create a partnership that is completely different," she says.

"Let's think creatively, let's be ambitious about what we can achieve."

The UK PM says she continues to believe that "no deal is better than a bad deal" when it comes to the Brexit negotiations.

"People voted to leave the EU and at the end of March 2019 we will leave the EU," adding that people also voted for the process of leaving to "be orderly".

Theresa May stresses that if the Brexit talks are approached in the right way, "we can find a way forward that makes a success of this for all our peoples".

She concedes that Brexit is not what the EU wanted, adding: "We both want to get this done as swiftly as possible, so it's up to leaders to set the tone."

This must be "a tone of trust", and if the spirit of negotiations is right at the end of this process both sides will find they can resolve areas where we disagree respectfully and quickly, she says.

A "clear double lock" is needed for the transitional period, Theresa May says - a guarantee that there will be an implementation so business can prepare for the change, but this must be time-limited.

"These arrangements will create valuable certainty," she says, adding: "The UK will honour commitments we have made during the period of our partnership."

This includes continuting to take part in policies and programmes that promote science, education, culture an mutual security.

Mrs May adds: "I am clear Britain's future is bright, our fundamentals are strong..."

Ben Wright
BBC political correspondent

So we now know that the UK wants a standstill, status quo transition agreement for two years.

EU will have to agree and crucially will want to know where the transition period is heading to.

Explaining how the post-Brexit transitional period will be funded, the PM says: "We want to make an ongoing contribution to cover our fair share of the costs involved."

Ben Wright
BBC political correspondent

Transition period will mean trading “on current terms” between UK and EU. That’s unambiguous.

Freedom of movement will continue but the PM says with a registration system for new arrivals.