Will May U-turn on divorce bill?

THERESA May is on the verge of making concessions to Brussels over the so-called ‘divorce bill’ in a bid to unlock Brexit talks, a confidante of Angela Merkel claimed last night.

Senior MEP Manfred Weber suggested the PM was on the brink of a significant U-turn following a private meeting in Downing Street and that a breakthrough could now be possible.

His comments came amid an impasse in negotiations, which the EU has blamed on the UK for refusing to guarantee it will pay an estimated £53billion Brexit divorce bill.

EU chiefs have warned the UK that failure to act will mean that European leaders have no choice but to block progress when they decide whether to green light trade talks at a key meeting next month.

Mr Weber, who leads the European Parliament’s most powerful group, said Mrs May had shown a ‘willingness to compromise’ and that ‘the will exists’ for a breakthrough by December.