No 'running commentary' on Brexit process, says May

The Government will not provide a "running commentary" on the Brexit process, Theresa May has said.

In a statement to the House of Commons, the prime minister said the Government would not "reveal our hand prematurely".

Earlier at Prime Minister's Questions, Mrs May repeatedly refused to say whether she wants the UK to remain within the European single market as part of a "new relationship" after Brexit.

In her statement, the Conservative leader said her aim was to get an "ambitious and bold" deal for Britain.

"We will not take decisions until we are ready, we will not reveal our hand prematurely and we will not provide a running commentary on every twist and turn of the negotiation," she said.

At PMQs and following her statement, Mrs May was asked about David Davis's suggestion that it is "very improbable" the UK can remain part of the European single market if it wishes to regain control over its borders.

Downing Street has distanced itself from the comments, but Mrs May was twice challenged on the issue by the SNP's Westminster leader Angus Robertson.

Mr Robertson claimed so far the Government had only come up with "waffle" about the post-Brexit plan.

Mrs May said: "What I want for the UK is that we put into practice the vote that was taken by the people of the UK to leave the EU, that we get the right deal for the trade in goods and services with the EU in a new relationship that we will be building with them and that we also introduce control of the movement of people from the European Union into the UK."

Mr Robertson repeated his challenge to Mrs May to give an "in or an out answer" to the question about single market membership.

Mrs May told him: "In looking at negotiations it would not be right for me or this Government to give a running commentary on negotiations."

She added: "It would not be right for us to prejudge those negotiations. We will be ensuring that we seize the opportunities for growth and prosperity across the whole UK, including growth and prosperity in Scotland."