Theresa May’s announcement that the UK will leave the single market in what is widely being seen as a “hard Brexit” has already had an impact on the financial markets.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> EU’s Chief Brexit negotiator<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Ready as soon as UK is. Only notification can kick off negotiations. #Brexit— Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) January 17, 2017<br /> <br /><br /> “Ready as soon as the UK is. Only notification can kick off negotiations,” – Michel Barnier, EU’s chief Brexit negotiator.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Finnish Finance Minister<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Britain has laid out its plan for #brexit. Next, it is the job of #EU27 to find a common position. United we stand, divided we fall.— Petteri Orpo (@PetteriOrpo) January 17, 2017<br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> “Britain has laid out its plan for #brexit. Next, it is the job of #EU27 to find a common positiion. United we stand, divided we fall,” – Petteri Orpo said on Twitter.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> UK Labour leader, opposition<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> “She has said ‘leave the single market’ but at the same time said she wants to have access to the market. I am not sure how that is going to go down in Europe..she seems to be wanting to have her cake and eat it,” – Jeremy Corbyn said on Sky News.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Scottish First Minister<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> First Minister of Scotland NicolaSturgeon's response to the Prime Minister’s speech on #Brexit. pic.twitter.com/VnL7KGKON3— Ross Colquhoun (rosscolquhoun) January 17, 2017<br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> Nicola Sturgeon says her country must have the option of independence if its wishes are dismissed.<br /><br /> “The prime minister has taken the UK down the road of a hard Brexit. It is not driven by the interest of the country, it is driven by the interest of the hard right of her own party. That is deeply regrettable.”<br /><br /> “Scotland cannot be taken down a path that we did not vote for and is against our interests. We have put forward proposals, we will continue to take decisions in an orderly manner but I am not prepared to allow Scotland’s interests to be steamrollered.”<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> German Foreign Minister<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> #3Novices : Germany: We welcome ‘some clarity’ on Brexit https://t.co/Kq0sRvbXGF <br /><br />German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier reacted…— 3NovicesEurope (@3NovicesEU) January 17, 2017<br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> “We welcome that the British prime minister is today outlining her government’s ideas for leaving and has finally created a little more clarity about the British plans,” said Frank-Walter Steinmeier.<br /><br /> “Our line is, and remains:the negotiations can begin only when Great Britain has given official notification of its desire to leave.”<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Irish government statement<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> Theresa May: Maintaining common travel area with Republic of Ireland will be a priority – always be a special relationship between us— RTÉ News (@rtenews) January 17, 2017<br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> “She made clear that her priorities include maintaining the common travel area and avoiding a return to a hard border with Northern Ireland, both of which are welcome.”<br /><br /> “The Government notes that the British approach is now firml
