MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

UK cabinet on parliamentary recess: Brexiteers choose holidays in UK and US, while Remainers prefer EU countries

Theresa May fresh from her key Brexit proposal being rejected by the EU on Thursday, is currently on holidays in Italy with her husband.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has begun a week-long walking holiday in Italy. The Conservative leader is fresh from her key Brexit proposal being rejected by the EU on Thursday.

 She will return to the UK for a week's work in her constituency and in Downing Street before attending the centenary commemoration of the World War One battle of Amiens and then resuming her break in Switzerland.

Mrs. May's trip is a repeat of her holiday itinerary from last year.

The Parliamentary recess plans of her Conservative colleagues have also been split on Europe - Brexiteers have largely chosen to holiday in the UK or US, while Remainers choose countries in the EU.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, chairman of the Tories' pro-Brexit European Research Group, is holidaying in the US, as is International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, after a detour in Japan.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who led the Vote Leave campaign, will be taking a break in Scotland.

The office of staunch Remainer Anna Soubry, meanwhile, said she would be taking a holiday in Europe.

Mrs. May has long favored visiting Switzerland - not in the EU - and the Alps because of her enthusiasm for hiking.

Before heading for Italy Mrs. May held talks with the Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz who said it is “important to avoid a hard Brexit”. Mrs May was in Salzburg as part of a mission by UK ministers to sell their post-Brexit trade proposals.

Mr Kurz said he viewed Brexit “negatively” but felt negotiations were going “quite well”. Mrs May then held talks with Czech PM Andrej Babis before heading off on her summer holidays

Speaking at a brief joint press conference, Mr Kurz, who has just assumed the EU presidency for six months, said: “The Brexit decision is a decision we see very negatively.

”But, of course, it has been taken by the British people so now we have to find a way to deal with it, and from our point of view it is important to avoid a hard Brexit.“

He said he hoped the UK's talks with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier would be successful and a ”solution“ could be found by October.

Mrs May hailed the strength of the UK's relationship with Austria, adding: ”We are delivering on a vote of the British people, they chose to leave the EU and we will deliver that.“

Later, Mrs May pitched her idea for a post-Brexit free trade area to her Czech counterpart Andrej Babis.

A Downing Street spokesman said: ”She highlighted that a UK-EU free trade area would maintain frictionless trade that would enable businesses across Europe to maintain their vital integrated supply chains.

“They agreed it was important to find a solution and that negotiations should continue at pace.”