Johnson pushing for Brexit talks to rapidly pick up pace

LONDON: British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is urging the EU to speed up Brexit talks and start discussing their future relationship after the UK leaves in 2019.

Johnson, who many see as a future contender for the leadership of the Tories, said in Luxembourg yesterday: “Let’s get these conversations going and stop letting the grass grow under our feet.”

Johnson said it was time for “the great ship to go down the slipway and on to the open sea, and for us to start some serious conversations about the future and the new relationship”.

Johnson’s remarks came before a dinner meeting yesterday between Prime Minister Theresa May, European Commission President JeanClaude Juncker and top Brexit negotiators.

EU leaders are expected this week to rule that not enough progress has been made for the negotiations to be expanded to include future relations and trade. May is heading to Brussels to meet senior EU officials in the hopes of reinvigorating stalled negotiations on Britain’s departure from the EU.

May’s unexpected decision to meet European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and chief negotiator Michel Barnier follows Barnier’s comment last week that the latest round of talks had ended in a “disturbing deadlock” over Britain’s financial obligations.

EU estimates suggest Britain’s divorce bill could range from 60 billion (R949bn) to 100bn. Britain has rejected such figures.

EU leaders are demanding progress on the divorce bill, the rights of citizens hit by Brexit and the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland before talks can move on to issues such as future trading arrangements. – AP