Australian ex-PM says UK is too ‘desperate’

AN EX-AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister has described Brexit as a “mess” with the Government looking “desperate to cut a deal even if that means staying under the rule of Brussels”.

Tony Abbott described Theresa May’s handling of negotiations as “baffling”.

He said the EU would never give the Prime Minister any concessions because she is not prepared to walk away with no deal, and is instead “desperate for whatever deal she can get”.

Writing in the Spectator , he went on: “The EU’s palpable desire to punish Britain for leaving vindicates the Brexit project.

“Its position, now, is that there’s only one ‘deal’ on offer, whereby the UK retains all of the burdens of EU membership but with no say in setting the rules. The EU seems to think that Britain will go along with this because it’s terrified of no deal. Or, to put it another way, terrified of the prospect of its own independence.”

In comments that will delight Brexiteers, Mr Abbott said Mrs May should make clear it is prepared to leave without a deal, abandon tariffs on European produce and recognise EU product standards, arguing this would also solve the Irish border issue.

“You don’t need to negotiate this: just do it. If Europe knows what’s in its own best interests, it would fully reciprocate in order to maintain entirely free trade and full mutual recognition of standards right across Europe.”

He also called on the Government to withhold the £39bn “divorce bill” to Brussels and allow free movement of EU citizens as long as they were coming to the UK to work, as he hit out at “lurid” official no deal scenarios.