FIRST Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness will meet with Prime Minister Theresa May today (Monday) to discuss the United Kingdom's decision to leave the European Union.
Mrs. May has offered to involve Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales in regular formal talks on the Brexit process in an effort to quell concern about her handling of the situation.
Downing Street said the prime minister will tell the leaders of the devolved administrations concerned about a possible hard Brexit that final decisions about her approach had not yet been taken and "how the UK leaves the EU will not boil down to a binary choice".
Prime Minister Theresa May.
Mrs. May will come under pressure from the leaders at a meeting in Downing Street.
The devolved administrations are keen to secure continued participation in the single market and want to hold votes on Mrs. May's approach before she triggers Article 50, formally beginning the Brexit process.
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The prime minister has offered them a "direct line" to Brexit Secretary David Davis, who will chair a new forum bringing together representatives from Westminster, Holyrood, Cardiff Bay and Stormont for regular talks on the situation.
Brexit Secretary David Davis.
Mrs. May is hosting the first meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC) since 2014 today.
Ahead of the talks, officials insisted she was "ready to listen to proposals" put forward by the first ministers about the Brexit process.
Mrs. May said: "I am determined that as we make a success of our exit from the European Union, we in turn further strengthen our own enduring union.
"The great union between us has been the cornerstone of our prosperity in the past - and it is absolutely vital to our success in the future.
"The country is facing a negotiation of tremendous importance and it is imperative that the devolved administrations play their part in making it work.
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"The new forum I am offering will be the chance for them all to put forward their proposals on how to seize the opportunities presented by Brexit and deliver the democratic decision expressed by the people of the UK."
If the devolved governments agree, a new sub-committee of the JMC chaired by Mr. Davis would hold its first meeting by the end of November and at least one more by Christmas as negotiations progress before Article 50 is triggered by the end of March 2017.
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