Now Soros pledges £100,000 more

Even rest of EU ‘thinks Barnier’s gone too far’

A CABINET minister yesterday claimed EU member states are unimpressed with the tough rhetoric of Brussels’ chief Brexit negotiator.

international Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt accused Michel Barnier of lacking pragmatism as diplomats warned his hardline stance could drive Britain away from talks.

Mr Barnier last week warned the EU could reject Theresa May’s request for a two-year transition period if ‘substantial’ disagreements over its terms remain.

he has been accused of trying to take advantage of the UK by imposing a socalled ‘punishment clause’ that would allow the EU to sanction Britain at will until 2020. Asked if she thought a transition period was a given, Miss Mordaunt yesterday told GEORGE Soros last night pledged an extra £100,000 to an anti- Brexit campaign.

The US billionaire has already given the Best for Britain group £400,000.

Yesterday he defended the decision to pump cash into the organisation as he denied accusations he is ‘undermining democracy’. He said: ‘The trend is moving in the right direction. The question is how it... can be accelerated so that it the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: ‘My personal view is i do because it’s in our interest and it’s in the EU’s interest, so i think common sense will prevail.’ She added: ‘What i reaches a tipping point in the next six to nine months.’ Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Soros – known as the man who broke the Bank of England for his actions on Black Wednesday in 1992 – added he said he was a ‘proud supporter’ of Best for Britain.

The group’s chief executive, Eloise Todd, said the extra funds were a rebuff to those who said his funding for the campaign was anti-democratic. would say to the public is that, actually, the other nations involved in this are very pragmatic and have not been impressed with some of the language that the (European) Commission has used.’ in a sign of disharmony among the EU, diplomats yesterday said the sanctions clause was unnecessarily included by Mr Barnier’s team and is likely be overhauled.

One senior official said: ‘This whole issue has been overblown and was not in the European Council’s guidelines.’ Another added: ‘This is just not a fundamental issue for us.’ Britain and the EU are trying to thrash out a transition deal that would keep the UK tied closely to the EU until 2020. But Downing Street was left furious last week after an EU negotiating document proposed a ‘punishment clause’ that would allow sanctions to be imposed on Britain during transition.

Brexit Secretary David Davis accused the EU of using ‘frankly discourteous’ language, but Mr Barnier claimed Brussels’ position was ‘only logical’.