Brexit on the menu at May, Macron dinner

Paris, Aug. 3: British Prime Minister Theresa May headed to President Emmanuel Macron’s “summer Elysee Palace” on the Mediterranean coast on Friday, seeking to soften resistance to a Brexit plan which has upended her government while failing to win over sceptical EU negotiators.

She and Macron will hold an “informal” twohour meeting at Bregancon, a 17th- century fort long favoured by French Presidents as a summer retreat.

“The plan was to go to Bregancon, which is to be a summer residence but also a place for working, and since May was finishing her vacation in Italy we proposed hosting her here,” a source in Macron’s office said.

Ms May is going to lay out “London’s position on the Brexit talks and its future relations with the EU,” the source said. “It will be the occasion to clarify this proposal and discuss the political context.”

There will be no press statement afterwards, because “there is absolutely no intention to speak in place of Michel Barnier,” the EU’s designated Brexit negotiator, the source added.

Pressure is growing on May to win allies on the continent after her May and Macron will hold an ‘ informal’ two- hour meeting at Bregancon, a 17thcentury fort long favoured by French Presidents as a summer retreat

May seeks to soften resistance to a Brexit plan which has upended her government while failing to win over sceptical EU negotiators

“Chequers plan” prompted two top ministers to resign in protest last month.

The prime minister has just a few months before an agreement on Britain’s divorce from the EU -- set for March 29, 2019 -- must be forged in principle ahead of a European summit in mid- October.

Barnier has already shot down May’s proposed solution to keeping the border between the UK and EU member Ireland open without a “hard border”.

Under May’s proposal a dual system of taxation would be introduced which would see taxes levied by each side of the Irish border for the benefit of the other.