Britain’s fury at ‘unhelpful’ Barnier
Brexit talks descend into slanging match as EU negotiator tells UK to behave ‘seriously’
BRITAIN’S relationship with Brussels appeared close to breaking point last night as the EU’S chief Brexit negotiator was accused of an “ill-judged and unhelpful” attack on the UK.
The latest round of Brexit talks descended into open hostility after Michel Barnier sniped at Britain for “ambiguity” in its stance on the socalled “divorce bill” and lectured the UK on taking the issue “seriously”.
Senior sources close to the British negotiating team described Mr Barnier as being “stuck with a headache of his own making” over the Brexit Bill. They dismissed suggestions that Britain should pay to leave the EU while continuing to make payments for access to the single market during a transition period. “We are not going to pay twice,” said one source.
The source added that Brussels would simply “pocket gains” from any financial offer, “as their reaction to our offer on citizens’ rights showed. We made a generous offer and got no credit”.
Another senior source described Mr Barnier’s attack as “inconsistent, illjudged, ill-considered and unhelpful for the next round of negotiations”.
Mr Barnier separately suggested the UK would be less secure as a result of Brexit, which was dismissed as “risible nonsense” in Whitehall.
David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, appeared visibly irritated by Mr Barnier’s remarks as they made opening statements side by side in Brussels.
He told Mr Barnier: “We want to make progress across all the issues.”
Peering at his opposite number over his glasses he repeated: “All the issues.” This week’s talks, the third in a series of monthly negotiations, are aimed at reaching an agreement on the “divorce bill”, citizens’ rights and the Irish border so trade talks can begin in October.
However, yesterday’s public mudslinging did nothing to increase the chances of a swift resolution. One EU official said it was “clearly worrying that we have major differences of core issues ... with very little time to land all this, even if Britain moves”.
At a terse press conference in Brussels Mr Barnier, a former French minister, told Mr Davis that the next phase of the Brexit talks cannot begin until Britain provides a clearer statement of its position on the “divorce bill”.
He said: “To be honest I am concerned that time passes quickly. We must start negotiating seriously.
“We need UK papers that are clear in order to have constructive negotiations and the sooner we remove the ambiguity the sooner we will be in a position to discuss the future relationship and transitional period.”
The choice of words was deliberate. Earlier this month, Mr Davis said that “constructive ambiguity” was necessary in negotiations. The Brexit Secretary called for “imagination and flexibility on both sides” to make progress, but an atmosphere of suspicion appeared to dominate yesterday.
Mr Barnier also angered his British counterparts by writing an article for a French newspaper in which he claimed Britain would be less secure after Brexit. Writing in he said Brexit