英国首相特蕾莎·梅呼吁她的争吵不休的保守党在脱欧战略上联合起来,帮助她与欧盟达成协议。

梅首相周三在伯明翰举行的保守党年度会议上说,他们正在进入“谈判最艰难的阶段”。

英国将在明年3月29日离开有着28个成员国的欧盟,但目前分离协议谈判陷入僵局。

由前外交部长鲍里斯·约翰逊领导的五月党内一个有影响力的支持英国脱欧的派系敦促梅首相坚定不移,如果必要的话不达成协议而退出。这一派系反对梅首相提出在英国脱欧后继续遵守欧盟贸易规则的提议,而是要求彻底脱离。

梅首相不排除在没有达成协议的情况下脱欧,但是说这样“对于英国和欧盟来说将是一个糟糕的结果。”

梅坚持认为,她的计划是保护就业和贸易,以及在英国与爱尔兰边境避免人身检查的唯一途径。

梅首相说: “如果我们团结起来,保持我们的精神,我知道我们可以为英国达成一个协议给,”她说,“即使我们并不都同意这个提案的每一部分,我们也需要走到一起。”

保守党年会的周三结束之际,意味着一些官员认为的英国与欧盟之间几周疯狂外交谈判的开始,双方都在试图为结束40多年的伙伴关系达成协议。

British Prime Minister Theresa May is calling on her fractious Conservative Party to unite on a Brexit strategy and help her negotiate a separation agreement with the European Union.

May told her party’s annual conference Wednesday in Birmingham they are entering the “toughest phase of the negotiations.”

Britain will leave the 28-nation bloc on March 29 and talks to reach a divorce deal have stalled.

An influential pro-Brexit faction within May’s party led by former foreign minister Boris Johnson is urging her to be firm and exit the European Union without a deal if necessary. The faction opposes May’s proposal for Britain to adhere to EU trade rules after it leaves, calling instead for a clean break.

May did not rule out leaving without an agreement, but said doing so “would be a bad outcome for the U.K. and the EU.”

May insists her plan is the only way to protect jobs and trade, and avoid physical checks on the border Britain shares with Ireland.

“If we stick together and hold our nerve, I know we can get a deal that delivers for Britain,” May said. “Even if we do not all agree on every part of this proposal, we need to come together.”

Wednesday’s end of the Conservative Party’s annual conference marks the beginning of what some officials believe will be a couple of weeks of frenzied diplomatic talks between Britain and the European Union as the two sides try to seal a deal to end more than 40 years of partnership.