British PM May says timetable to reach EU deal is "tight"

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Wednesday she faced a "tight" timetable to negotiate the terms on which the country will leave the European Union in two years' time.

Asked in parliament about how she could guarantee certainty for businesses after Brexit, May confirmed she planned to convert existing EU law into British legislation to ensure continuity in the immediate period after Brexit.

"It is a tight timetable to get the agreement for our future relationship," she said. "There will need to be implementation periods so that we can ensure that that is then put into practice in a way that makes practical sense for business, and indeed for governments."

May filed formal Brexit divorce papers on Wednesday, pitching Britain into the unknown and triggering years of uncertain negotiations that will test the EU's cohesion.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)