With one year to
 go until we leave the European Union, the progress we have achieved 
in the negotiations so far should give us confidence in 
our direction.

During the week Michel Barnier and I completed talks on some of the most important issues relating to our exit, publishing a 129-page draft Withdrawal Agreement.

The document represents months’ worth of discussions that will underpin the terms of how the UK leaves the European Union, and the start of a new partnership between us.

But more than that, it is another 
step towards delivering the result of the referendum, and achieving Britain’s departure from the 
European Union.

Negotiating such a seismic change was never going to be easy...