EU chief slams the UK’s ‘go whistle’ remark at Brexit bill

THE EU’s chief Brexit negotiator has slapped down UK politician Boris Johnson over his claim that Brussels could ‘go whistle’ if it expected large sums from Britain as part of the withdrawal agreement.

Asked about the UK’s foreign secretary’s comment, Michel Barnier pointedly referred to the tight deadline to reach a trade agreement ahead of the March 2019 date for Brexit.

He told a Brussels press conference: ‘I’m not hearing any whistling, just the clock ticking.’

Mr Barnier said Britain must offer more clarity on its position on the ‘divorce bill’ financial settlement with the EU – as well as the status of expat citizens and the nature of the future border with the Republic of Ireland – if it is to make progress towards a deal on trade arrangements after Brexit.

Speaking after briefing European Commissioners in Brussels, Mr Barnier insisted the UK must honour its monetary commitments to EU programmes.

No figure has yet been put on the payment, but European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker suggested it could come in at around €60 billion, while unconfirmed reports have put it as high as €100 billion.

Mr Barnier dismissed talk of it being a ransom payment.

‘People have used words like ransom. Mr Farage in the Parliament talked of ransom. It’s not an exit bill.

‘It is not a punishment. It is not a revenge. At no time has it been those things.

‘It is simply settling accounts. The way you do it. And it’s not easy and it might be expensive.

‘But any separation involves settling accounts. No more, no less. We are not asking the UK for a single euro or a single pound more than they have legally undertaken to provide.’

Mr Barnier made it clear there would be no grounds to discuss anything else unless the UK accepted in principle that it had financial obligations.