Head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, has apppointed veteran French politician and former EU commissioner Michel Barnier to lead negotiations for the UK to withdraw from the European Union.

Barnier tweeted he was "honored" by the appointment. He will take up the post on October 1st. The UK government has responded to the appointment, saying it looked forward to working together with representatives from various European institutions to ensure an orderly exit from the bloc.