‘Bad cop’ France playing Brexit game HAMMOND SAYS UK TO PAY EU, ADMITS CABINET SPLIT
Leaked memo shows city’s EU envoy warning that Paris wants to weaken London
London, July 16: France is seeking to use Brexit to weaken the London city, the British finance sector’s EU pointman warned in a leaked report published on Sunday.
The leaked report, published by the Mail on Sunday tabloid, was written as a summary to ministers of a trip made by Jeremy Browne, a former government minister who is now the city’s Brexit envoy to France in early July. “The meeting with the French Central Bank was the worst I have had anywhere in the EU. They are in favour of the hardest Brexit. They want disruption,” he said.
Mr Browne acknowledged there may be political benefits to France of playing “bad cop” in the negotiations on Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, which began last month and are due to resume in Brussels on Monday. But “we should nevertheless have our eyes open that France sees Britain and the City of London as adversaries, not partners”.
This approach was not confined to a few officials, but was a “whole-of-France collective endeavour, made both more giddy and more assertive by the election of (Emmanuel) Macron” as President in May, according to Mr Browne.
The Mail on Sunday headlined the story “Macron’s Brexit Saboteurs”. Mr Browne adds that “every country, not unreasonably, is alive to the opportunities that Brexit provides, but the French go further”. London, July 16: Finance minister Philip Hammond said on Sunday that Britain will take responsibility for the money it owes the EU after leaving the bloc as he acknowledged the Cabinet was split over Brexit.
“We are a country that always honours its obligations. If there is any amount that is due when it’s been properly quantified and audited, of course we’ll deal with it,” he told the BBC. “We’re not a country that walks away from its debts.”
Mr Hammond brushed off remarks by foreign minister Boris Johnson that the EU could “go whistle” for its money saying this was a direct reference to claims that Britain may be asked to pay up to 100 billion euros.
Mr Hammond also said the Cabinet was coming closer to an agreement on the need for some kind of transitional arrangement when Britain leaves the EU, which could last a ‘couple of years”. But he acknowledged that ministers were divided on other elements of Brexit after the weekend newspapers were filled with reports of in-fighting.
“Some of the noise is generated by people who are not happy with the agenda which I, over the last few weeks, have tried to advance of ensuring that we achieve a Brexit which is focused on protecting our economy.”