Theresa May tells business chiefs a 2-year Brexit transition deal will happen

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May told business leaders that they should treat a two-year transition period after Brexit as assured as she

tries to ease company concerns that Britain could crash out of the EU without a deal, a source told Reuters.

May met business chiefs from GlaxoSmithKline, Vodafone, HSBC, and other major companies on Monday to hear what they want from talks on Britain's relationship with the EU after Brexit.

Businesses have become increasingly alarmed by the slow progress of negotiations and the prospect that the country could leave the trading bloc without a new trading arrangement in place in 2019.

"From her point of view, the transitional agreement is non-negotiable... business should think of the two-year period as assured. It will happen," the source said when asked what May had said during discussions on Monday.

A spokeswoman from May's office said she restated her position "that the government's goal is for a smooth, orderly exit in which there is only one set of changes for businesses and people."

LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Theresa May told business leaders that they should treat a two-year transition period after Brexit as assured as she tries to ease company concerns that Britain could crash out of the EU without a deal, a source told Reuters.

May met business chiefs from GlaxoSmithKline, Vodafone, HSBC, and other major companies on Monday to hear what they want from talks on Britain's relationship with the EU after Brexit.

Businesses have become increasingly alarmed by the slow progress of negotiations and the prospect that the country could leave the trading bloc without a new trading arrangement in place in 2019.

"From her point of view, the transitional agreement is non-negotiable... business should think of the two-year period as assured. It will happen," the source said when asked what May had said during discussions on Monday.

A spokeswoman from May's office said she restated her position "that the government's goal is for a smooth, orderly exit in which there is only one set of changes for businesses and people."