Senior members of the British government are becoming convinced of the need for a phased departure from the European Union to help protect the economy, Finance Minister Philip Hammond said Sunday.

Brexit Minister David Davis is to travel to Brussels on Monday for a first full round of talks, with EU officials hoping the British government, yet to set out detailed proposals on several major issues, will begin to show more urgency about doing a deal before Britain leaves the bloc in 2019.

Hammond, who supported remaining in the EU at last year's referendum, is seen as the voice of a so-called "soft Brexit" within Prime Minister Theresa May's Cabinet, favoring prioritizing trade ties with the EU over curbing immigration.