UK’s stance on Brexit draws flak
BELGIUM: European ambassadors have dismissed as ‘‘unnecessary and unhelpful threats’’ the warning by Theresa May yesterday that any attempt to punish Britain for Brexit would be a ‘‘calamitous act of self-harm’’.
One ambassador, who welcomed much of the British prime minister’s speech for giving clarity to her plans, said the ‘‘threatening’’ remarks had ‘‘undermined any other sense of optimism’’ that May was seeking to project.
There was further dismay over her suggestion that Britain could become a low-regulation tax haven if Brussels failed to deliver a good deal. One ambassador called it ‘‘blackmail’’ while another dismissed it as ‘‘a bluff’’.
‘‘This threat of fiscal dumping was previously an off-the-cuff comment,’’ the first ambassador said. ‘‘Now it’s official. She’s saying you must sit down and do a deal, or else.’’
This view was echoed by Guy Verhofstadt, the European parliament’s Brexit negotiator. ‘‘Threatening to turn the UK into a deregulated tax haven will not only hurt British people – it is a counterproductive negotiating tactic.’’
Another ambassador said there was widespread resentment over the suggestion that Europe would seek to punish Britain for Brexit.
‘‘If you take some measure to ensure the survival of the union, is this punishing or is it selfpreservation?’’ he asked.
However, in Brussels and beyond, May was praised for a ‘‘more realistic’’ approach to Brexit than previously apparent.
‘‘Sad process, surrealistic times but at least more realistic announcement on Brexit,’’ Donald Tusk, president of the European Council tweeted.
‘‘EU27 united and ready to negotiate after Article 50.’’ Sigmar Gabriel, the German vice-chancellor, said: ‘‘It’s good that there is finally now a bit more clarity about Britain’s direction. It’s also clear that there won’t be any cherry picking. Anyone who wants access to the common market has to also be part of the political union.’’
May was praised for distancing herself from incoming American president Donald Trump’s ‘‘surreal’’ remarks welcoming the prospect of the EU falling apart.
‘‘It was a sensible voice on cooperation,’’ Norbert Rottgen, a senior MP in German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party and chairman of the Bundestag foreign affairs committee, said.
London-based diplomats said the speech still gave few clues as to how negotiations would pan out. ‘‘Every one of these points raises more questions than it answers,’’ one said.
One ambassador described May’s position on possibly retaining some elements of the customs union as ‘‘impossible’’.
May is not expected to reveal more of her strategy before triggering Article 50 by the end of March. – The Times