EU's Tusk urges May to begin formal Brexit talks

Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, has told UK prime minister Theresa May to invoke Article 50 as soon as possible so the two parties can begin formal negotiations on Britain's exit from the EU.

The two leaders met in Downing Street on Thursday morning to discuss the relationship between the two entities in the aftermath of June's historic referendum.

May has maintained that article 50 will not be triggered until at least the turn of the year, but faces pressure from those within the bloc to clarify the situation.

"This is the position shared by all 27 member states. To put it simply, the ball is now in your court. I’m aware that it is not easy but I still hope you will be ready to start the process as soon as possible," Tusk told May during the meeting.

The prime minister has been adamant that the decision to formally begin the process rests firmly in the hands of her government.

Tusk's visit to Downing Street was supposed to act as an icebreaker ahead of the difficult upcoming process between the two. The 27 other current member states of the EU will meet in Bratislava next week to discuss the bloc's strategy ahead of the negotiations.

He added that "I have no doubt that at the end of the day our common strategic goal is to establish the closest possible relations."

The UK government has given mixed signals concerning how it will approach the talks on issues such as free-market access and border controls, with Brexit minister David Davis admitting it will be difficult to achieve all the UK's aims on the big points, something May has distanced herself from.