May says UK prepared to 'walk out' of Brexit talks

British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Monday she was ready to walk away from Brexit negotiations without a deal with the European Union if the agreement wasn't good enough.

"We will be there to negotiate the right deal but what I have said is that no deal is better than a bad deal. We have to be prepared to walk out," she said during a Sky News interview on Monday.

May will also call Europe's stance on the Brexit "aggressive" on Tuesday, according to a pre-released copy of her speech.

The British prime minister's hardened rhetoric on the process that will eventually see the United Kingdom leave the EU comes as she bids to regain political momentum in the face of a narrowing lead in polls before a snap election on June 8.

"They are adopting an aggressive negotiating position, which can only be met by strong leadership on behalf of Britain," she will say.

"If we don't make a success of the next five years, our economic prosperity will suffer, jobs and livelihoods will be put at risk, and with them the security and peace of mind of working families," the speech adds.

May took over as prime minister after her Conservative predecessor David Cameron stepped down last year, having failed to convince Britons to vote to remain in the EU in a referendum that he organised in June 2016.

Cameron's administration was swiftly replaced by one led by pro-Brexit politicians from within his party, with May in charge of overseeing the negotiation process with the EU.

Having triggered Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty in March, May then called a snap vote to boost her majority before talks begin.

Barely two weeks ago, May was on course to win a landslide parliamentary majority but her campaign was derailed by unpopular plans to make the elderly pay more for their care.

Her record over security and policing has also been questioned after a suicide bomber killed 22 people last Monday at a concert by US singer Ariana Grande in Manchester.

Labour promises deal

The opposition Labour Party has said it accepts last year's referendum result and would push to avoid a "hard Brexit" by prioritising workers' rights and maintaining living standards.

Labour also emphasises the need to retain the benefits of the single market and customs union, which guarantee free trade.

Speaking in an interview on Sky News on Monday, Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn ruled out the possibility of the UK failing to secure a deal with the EU.

"There's going to be a deal," he said. "We will make sure there is a deal."