JUNCKER: YOU’LL PAY FOR BREXIT

THE future relationship between Britain and the EU will take years to negotiate and the UK can expect a hefty bill as the price of exit, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has warned.

Mr Juncker said that Britain must understand that it will not be able to negotiate a “cut-price or zero-cost” exit from the EU, but will have to settle the bill for commitments which it entered into as a member.

Talks are underway in Brussels on the size of the bill to be presented to Prime Minister Theresa May when she launches withdrawal talks, with unconfirmed reports suggesting the demand may be as high as £51bn over the next six years.

The sum will cover the UK’s share of the cost of projects and programmes which it signed up to as part of the 28-nation bloc, as well as pensions for EU officials who served during its 45-year membership.

Mr Juncker used a French slang term to tell the Belgian Federal Parliament in Brussels he expected the bill to be very “salty” – meaning hefty or pricey.

He said: “Our British friends need to know it will not be cut-price or zero-cost.”