May touts ‘Euro 27 deal’

DISMISSING threats by European Union (EU) nations to veto Brexit negotiations, British Prime Minister Theresa May has declared that “the 27 will sign up to a deal with us”, the media reported.

May said other nations would accept an agreement with Britain after the Slovakian Prime Minister said four central European countries were willing to block talks unless their citizens retained their right to work in the UK, The Guardian reported.

Robert Fico last week said Slovakia, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary would be “uncompromising” during talks and were ready to veto arrangements “unless we feel a guarantee that these people are equal”.

However, May rejected such warnings when asked whether it would really be possible to secure the agreement of all other member states for Brexit and trade talks.

“The 27 will sign up to a deal with us,” she asserted on Monday night, adding: “We will be negotiating with them. And… we will be ambitious in what we want to see for the UK. A good deal for the UK can also be a good deal for the other member states because I believe in good trading relations and I have said I want the UK to be a global leader in free trade.”

Although the main Brexit negotiations were separate from trade talks, EU countries have made it clear that the UK will have to sign up to some degree of free movement if it wants access to the single market.

May has said there must be controls on free movement as a priority in negotiations, but left the door open for EU citizens to work and travel in the UK on preferential terms.

May made the remarks before she left for New York to attend the ongoing 71st session of the UN General Assembly. She is being accompanied by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Priti Patel, International Development Secretary.