We will not be pushed around, MPS tell ‘bully’ Barnier
MICHEL BARNIER, the EU’S chief Brexit negotiator, was accused of “bullying” Britain after he warned that a transition period is “not a given” if Britain cannot quickly agree terms with Brussels on how it should work.
Mr Barnier also said border checks in Northern Ireland would be “unavoidable” if Britain left the single market and customs union. His comments caused a fall in the value of the pound, and Eurosceptic MPS reacted with fury, saying it was time Mr Barnier realised Britain would not be “pushed around” and that Britain should refuse to pay the so-called “divorce bill” if Brussels reneged on transition.
The EU wants Britain to observe all new and existing EU law and recognise the supremacy of the European Court of Justice during transition.
Britain wants to be able to block any new EU laws it does not agree with, and Theresa May also wants EU mi- grants arriving in Britain after Brexit to have fewer rights than those who already live here, another source of tension in talks.
Speaking at a press conference in Brussels, Mr Barnier said: “If these disagreements persist, the transition is not a given. Time is short, very short. We haven’t a minute to lose if we want to succeed.”
He also said the EU would insist Britain signed up to a legally binding agreement that would keep Northern Ireland in full “regulatory alignment” with Brussels, if there was no other way to avoid a hard border with the Republic. Mr Barnier said: “It’s important to tell the truth – the UK decision to leave the single market and customs union would make border checks unavoidable.”
Peter Bone, the Tory MP, said Mr Barnier’s comments about the border were “scaremongering of the worst type”, while David Jones, a former Brexit minister, said: “The EU is striking an increasingly bullying tone… He needs to understand that we will not be pushed around.”
Earlier this week it emerged that Mr Barnier wanted to impose a so-called punishment clause that could suspend British businesses’ access to parts of the single market, impose tariffs, and even withdraw airline landing rights if the UK did not adhere to Brussels red tape during transition.
But plans for the punishment clause could be watered down or ditched, The Telegraph has been told, with one diplomat saying it was “not a deal breaker” because there was “no appetite” to end up in another stalemate on negotiations.