Hammond says UK will pay Brexit debt, admits govt split

Finance minister Philip Hammond said Sunday that Britain will take responsibility for the money it owes the EU after leaving the bloc, as he acknowledged the cabinet was split over Brexit.

“We are a country that always honors its obligations. If there is any amount that is due when it’s been properly quantifi ed and audited, of course we’ll deal with it,” he told the BBC.

“We’re not a country that walks away from its debts.”

Hammond brushed off remarks by foreign minister Boris Johnson that the EU could “go whistle” for its money, saying this was a direct reference to claims that Britain may be asked to pay up to 100 billion euros ($ 112 billion).

He described this fi gure, confi rmed to AFP by EU offi cials but never publicly announced, as “ridiculous.”

Hammond confi rmed that Britain’s fi nancial settlement would be top of the agenda when the Brexit negotiations, which started last month, resume in Brussels on Monday.

He also said the cabinet was coming closer to an agreement on the need for some kind of transitional arrangement when Britain leaves the EU, which could last a “couple of years.”

But he acknowledged that ministers were divided on other elements of Brexit, after the weekend newspapers were fi lled with reports of in- fi ghting – including potentially damaging briefi ngs against him over public sector pay.

“Some of the noise is generated by people who are not happy with the agenda which I, over the last few weeks, have tried to advance of ensuring that we achieve a Brexit which is focused on protecting our economy,” he said.

Since the June 8 election, when the ruling Conservatives lost their majority in parliament, Hammond has been increasingly outspoken about the need to retain economic ties with the EU.