Barnier threat to boycott talks

THE EU’s Brexit chief has considered boycotting talks with Britain over Theresa May’s Chequers plan, it was claimed yesterday.

Michel Barnier was reportedly furious over the Prime Minister’s suggestion that Britain diverge from the bloc on services, while staying aligned on goods.

According to the Politico website, one of his team was said to have highlighted an internal study which estimated that Britain’s service sector could save at least £5.5billion a year by freeing itself from just seven EU regulations. The savings would potentially be much higher if the full array of Brussels regulations on services were lifted.