Eu is Rude and acting in bad faith, says davis

DAVID Davis yesterday accused Brussels of being rude and acting in bad faith over Brexit.

His retort came after the European Commission threatened to withdraw Britain’s access to the single market if there are rows during a post-Brexit transition period.

The Brexit Secretary’s outburst was unusually strongly worded for a public statement by a minister and reflects frustration that elements of the European Union want to punish Britain for leaving.

The Commission this week issued a paper on arrangements for the two-year transition period, which the UK calls the implementation stage.

It said Brussels should be empowered to “suspend certain benefits deriving for the UK from participation in the internal market.”

Mr Davis said: “I thought that was hardly a legal document. It was a political document.

“And I do not think it was in good faith to publish a document with frankly discourteous language, and implying that they could arbitrarily terminate the implementation period.” UK sources said Mr Davis’s attack on Brussels reflected real annoyance with “deliberately inflammatory” phrasing and threats in the Commission’s paper. Personal relations between the British and EU sides are said to be still good.

But the UK team in Brussels say the Commission side repeatedly cancelled meetings this week about the transition period, despite its Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier saying in London on Monday that progress must be accelerated.