It’s business as usual, Cameron tells ministers

London, June 27 

Prime Minister David Cameron is laying the groundwork for his successor to trigger Britain's departure from the European Union and on Monday urged unity among his top ministers, his spokeswoman said.

Cameron said on Friday he would resign by October after Britons ignored his advice and voted to leave the 28-member bloc in last week's referendum, unleashing a leadership battle in his ruling Conservatives.

His spokeswoman said the prime minister had set up a unit of public servants to help a future leader not only negotiate the departure of Britain from the EU, but also to work out the options for the country's future outside it.

The unit would "make sure we have done the groundwork ready for a new prime minister. So it is about preparing advice on the whole range of issues that will need to be looked at, things like transitional issues.”

She said: “It is the pre-thinking. It is not the decision-making because it is right that that decision is taken by the prime minister in a new government," adding that Oliver Letwin, a lawmaker and old friend of Cameron's, would be involved with the unit.

At a meeting of his cabinet, Cameron urged his top ministers to work together on its regular business, which some critics say has been all but suspended during months of campaigning for the EU referendum.

Cameron's resignation has triggered a leadership contest in the Conservative Party, with all eyes on former London mayor Boris Johnson as the favourite to succeed him. Other members of the cabinet may stand against Johnson. The spokeswoman declined to comment on the leadership battle. — Reuters

Merkel rejects informal Brexit talks 

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday she did not want to pressure Britain to slow or accelerate its exit from the European Union but she also made clear that informal discussions on Brexit could not begin until London applies to leave
• The chief executive of Britain’s Vote Leave campaign, Matthew Elliott, has said London should begin informal negotiations on a full settlement governing its post-exit relationship with the EU before invoking Article 50
• Britain’s notification will set the clock ticking on a two-year period of negotiations within which a basic withdrawal agreement should be made

A great opportunity for Europe: Italy

• Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi told Parliament on Monday that Britain’s vote to leave the European Union could be a “great opportunity” for the rest of the bloc to make long-needed changes
• Renzi said the EU must now focus ‘a bit more on social issues and a bit less on bureaucratic ones’. The referendum outcome strengthened the arguments for reform that Italy had often put forward to its partners, Renzi said
• The PM said it was important that not much time should be spent on deciding the technicalities of Britain’s exit from the EU