Britain facing costly divorce

THE European parliament’s president says he believes Britain should pay at least €60 billion (R1 trillion) as it leaves the EU to meet its financial commitments. The divorce bill is the biggest stumbling block in negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the bloc, due in March 2019. The EU is demanding that Britain turn promises to pay its financial dues into concrete commitments. Asked in an interview with Germany’s Funke newspaper group, which was published on Monday, how much Britain should pay, European parliament president Antonio Tajani said: “In my opinion, it should be at least €60 billion.” He added: “If the EU accepted less, European citizens would have to make up the difference. But why should the Germans, Italians, Spanish or Dutch have to pay the Britons’ bill?”-