Theresa May will rule out any "half-in, half out" deal with the European Union when she delivers a speech on Tuesday that will make clear she wants to be rid of all aspects of EU membership.
In a long-awaited statement setting out Britain's negotiating position over Brexit, the prime minister will formally confirm she does not want the UK to have partial membership of the EU or any of its institutions in a deal similar to that of Norway.
"Not partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out," she will say, according to excerpts of the speech released in advance by Downing Street. "We do not seek to adopt a model already enjoyed by other countries. We do not seek to hold on to bits of membership as we leave."
May, who officially campaigned for Remain in last year's EU referendum, will say a so-called hard Brexit is what the public wants. "A little over six months ago the British people voted for change," she will say. "They voted to shape a brighter future for our country. They voted to leave the European Union and embrace the world.
"And they did so with their eyes open: accepting that the road ahead will be uncertain at times, but believing that it leads towards a brighter future for their children – and their grandchildren too."
Downing Street has resisted giving away much detail on May's plans for leaving the EU since she became prime minister, constantly falling back on her "Brexit means Brexit" formulation and leaving the public, media, and rival countries in the dark as to her negotiating strategy.
This approach continued when dealing with Tuesday's announcement. Extracts from May's speech were issued under embargo but aides would not even allow outlets to publish the exact time of the speech, which is being held at Lancaster House in central London and is expected to cause a "correction" in the markets and spark a fresh fall in sterling.
The pound has already fallen further against the dollar ahead of the speech, making it more expensive for Britons to import goods and travel abroad but making British exports more attractive to overseas purchasers.
While the speech is being billed as uncompromising, the prime minister will repeatedly call other EU countries "old friends" and insist she wants other nations to do well even after the UK has quit.
"Our vote to leave the European Union was no rejection of the values we share," May will say. "The decision to leave the EU represents no desire to become more distant to you, our friends and neighbours. We will continue to be reliable partners, willing allies and close friends. We want to buy your goods, sell you ours, trade with you as freely as possible, and work with one another to make sure we are all safer, more secure and more prosperous through continued friendship.”
"We seek a new and equal partnership – between an independent, self-governing, Global Britain and our friends and allies in the EU."
The prime minister has already promised to formally declare Article 50 and begin the process of leaving the EU before the end of March, despite ongoing legal challenges that could force parliament to be given a greater say in the debate. But it is unclear whether she will set out precise negotiating demands in the speech.
Number 10 said she would set out a dozen priorities for her Brexit vision, collectively gathered under four political slogans: "Certainty and clarity", "A Stronger Britain", "A fairer Britain", and "A truly Global Britain".
Other details on whether Britain will leave the customs union and how soon the UK will stop paying money into the EU still need clarifying. Over the weekend chancellor Philip Hammond used an interview with German newspaper Die Welt to warn that Britain could become a tax haven on the edge of Europe if other member states tried to punish it for leaving the union.