Inflexibility of Michel Barnier

Sir, - Whatever one’s Brexit view, the negotiation ground rules, including no talks with the 27 individual members, no cherrypicking, and nothing is agreed until everything is agreed were accepted by the UK in good faith. But the EU adopts different rules for itself.

It talks to the Labour opposition and our devolved governments, cherry-picks three outright demands, and illogically and unlawfully refuses any consideration of a future relationship until we accept these demands – ignoring Article 50, which includes nothing on exit fees but does require simultaneous linking of exit arrangements with a new future relationship.

France did not pay its full obligations on leaving Nato. Germany paid minimal reparations for its Second World War devastation (and none whatsoever to the UK), and even benefited from additional Marshall Aid and its 1953 debt-waiver, which were rationalised to counter the Soviet threat which Germany

created. Yet when Mrs May emphasised the EU’s continuing need for our intelligence/security expertise, it reacted like a petulant child.

Did we demand in September 1939, May/ June 1940 or even May 1945 that our account for Europe’s liberation must first be settled?

I think not. We should not have entered any talks based on Michel Barnier’s inflexible mandate from Berlin and Paris. John Birkett. 12 Horseleys Park, St Andrews.