Britain's May tells Merkel and Hollande she needs time before Brexit talks

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May said she had told German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday that her government would need time before beginning talks on Britain's exit from the European Union. May spoke to the German and French leaders along with the Irish prime minister hours after taking over from David Cameron who had announced he would resign following the vote on June 23 by Britons to exit the EU. "On all the phone calls, the prime minister emphasized her commitment to delivering the will of the British people to leave the European Union," a spokeswoman for May said. "The prime minister explained that we would need some time to prepare for these negotiations and spoke of her hope that these could be conducted in a constructive and positive spirit." (Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)