THE North-East “must continue to be a global North-East”, despite Prime Minister Theresa May’s confirmation that Brexit must mean leaving the single market.

The PM set out what the UK leaving the EU could actually look like in a much anticipated speech, announcing Parliament would get to vote on the final deal agreed and highlighting the Government’s priorities for the negotiations.

Jonathan Walker, head of policy at the North East England Chamber of Commerce, said ultimately the PM would be judged on the outcome of the negotiations rather than the content of a speech.

But he stressed: “We must continue to be a global North-East. “Our firms need un-bureaucratic and low cost access to the European market, support to grow their international presence and a migration system that allows our region to retain and compete for highly skilled overseas talent.”

Phil Wilson, the MP for Sedgefield, welcomed the prospect of transitional arrangements to usher in any new deal, but expressed concern about the impact on jobs from leaving the single market.

He said: “I’m disappointed that Mrs May hasn’t argued for the single market because being out of that will have implications for North-East industry.

“She wants to see specific deals for specific sectors but which sectors will be allowed to win and stay in and which will lose and what will the impact be on jobs?”

Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald criticised the PM for not coming to the House of Commons to make the speech.

He said: “Critically we are going to be getting a vote on any deal, which makes complete sense and means Parliament examines and scrutinises it.

“Mrs May seems to have accepted a number of demands that we [Labour] have been making for some time.

“The commitment to workers’ rights is also to be welcomed, but we have to see how that is implemented.”

Charlotte Bull, secretary of the Darlington branch of UKIP, said: “The EU is adamant that we cannot remain in the single market without continuing to accept uncontrolled European immigration, so Mrs May is right to conclude that we cannot remain a member of the single market.”

She said it was “hard not to feel positive” about Britain’s future and was “cautiously hopeful” that any final deal would be accepted in Parliament, despite the ‘leave’ camp being outnumbered by ‘remainers’.

However she warned: “MPs are well aware that should the final agreement not be accepted by Parliament the manner of their own vote would be remembered at the next election and they would not be forgiven for voting against a reasonable deal.”