Jeremy Corbyn has warned Theresa May's plans for Brexit are "reckless and damaging" after the Prime Minister formally triggered divorce proceedings with Brussels.

The Labour leader said Mrs May and her Government must "listen, consult and represent the whole country" as the UK negotiates its departure from the European Union over the next two years.

Mr Corbyn also said his party would not give the Prime Minister a "free hand" to use Brexit to attack rights and cut services.

A letter signed by Mrs May on Tuesday setting out the UK's desire to leave the EU was handed over to European Council president Donald Tusk on Wednesday lunchtime, invoking Article 50.

The UK and the EU now have two years to negotiate a Brexit settlement.

Mr Corbyn told Mrs May that settlement must reflect the needs of the whole nation rather than just the Brexiteer MPs on the Government benches.

He said: "If the Prime Minister is to unite the country as she says she aims to do, the Government needs to listen, consult and represent the whole country, not just the hard line Tory ideologues on her own benches."

He added: "The direction the Prime Minister is threatening to take this country in is both reckless and damaging.

"Labour will not give this Government a free hand to use Brexit to attack rights, protections and cut services."

Mr Corbyn warned Mrs May that returning from Brussels at the end of the two-year period without a deal would have dire consequences for the UK.

He said: "It would be a national failure of historic proportions if the Prime Minister comes back from Brussels without having secured protection for jobs and living standards.

"We will use every parliamentary opportunity to ensure this Government is held to account at every stage of the negotiations."

Mr Corbyn also said the UK needed to retain full access to the single market to protect the UK economy.

"We all have an interest in ensuring the Prime Minister gets the best deal for this country," he said.

"To safeguard jobs, living standards, we do need full access to the single market."

Mr Corbyn said Labour would "back" Mrs May if she meets his party's tests on the Brexit deal.

He said: "Labour has set out our tests for this Government's Brexit negotiations and we will use all means possible to make sure we hold this Government to their word - on full access to the single market, on protecting Britain from being dragged into a race to the bottom, and ensuring our future relationship with the European Union is strong and co-operative, a relationship where we can work together to bring prosperity and peace to our continent.

"If the Prime Minister can deliver a deal that meets our tests, that'll be fine, we'll back her.

"More than ever, Britain needs a Government that can deliver for the whole country, not just the few, and that is the ultimate test of the Brexit deal that the Prime Minister must now secure."

Mrs May claimed Mr Corbyn had not got his message through to his entire shadow cabinet, noting shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner tweeted a photo of her signing the Article 50 letter and commented that she was signing away the country's future.

Mrs May said: "I'm afraid that's what we see from Labour all too often - talking down Britain, desperate for the negotiations to fail and out of touch with ordinary working people."

The PM added Labour's tests are principles which the Government has "time and time again said we're determined to meet".