Full Brexit negotiations commence in Brussels

BRUSSELS: Britain’s Brexit minister pledged to “get down to work” as he kicked off a first full round of negotiations on Monday, but a year after Britons voted narrowly to leave the EU their government seemed at war with itself over the divorce terms.

Her authority diminished after losing her majority in a June election she did not need to call, Prime Minister Theresa May has struggled to control rival cabinet ministers, worrying European Union negotiators who stress that 20 months until Brexit is very little time to negotiate an orderly departure.

“It’s time to get down to work and make this a successful nego- tiation,” veteran anti-EU campaigner David Davis said as he was welcomed by the bloc’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier before their teams began four days of talks.

Infighting

In London, media were rife with reports of infighting echoing the Leave-Remain rifts that May’s Conservative party suffered during the EU referendum.

Her spokesman said she would tell ministers not to reveal cabinet discussions. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, in Brussels for a separate meeting, passed up a chance to deny that ministers are at odds.

His backing helped secure a four-point victory for the Leave camp in June last year. Asked point blank if the cabinet was still “split on Brexit”, Boris Johnson simply said he was pleased negotiations had begun and then defended the offer May has made to protect the rights of EU citizens in Britain.