‘EU irresponsible to apply pressure’
BREXIT Secretary Dominic Raab has accused the EU of “irresponsibly” ramping up pressure in withdrawal negotiations.
The comments came as Mr Raab indicated he was still trying to persuade all members of the Cabinet that Theresa May’s Chequers compromise agreement was “the best plan to get the best deal”.
As Mr Raab, who has said a deal with the EU can be reached by October, readied to return to Brussels for more Brexit talks on Thursday, he signalled that Britain could withhold its £39 billion divorce bill if it did not get a trade deal in return.
And Tory former prime minister Sir John Major left the door open to a new referendum, insisting such a vote would be “morally justified”.
Mr Raab was scathing about comments from Brussels stating that a no deal scenario would mean there would be no specific arrangements in place for UK citizens living on the continent, or for EU migrants in Britain after withdrawal.
Mr Raab told BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show: “Well, I think that’s a rather irresponsible thing to be coming from the other side. We ought to be trying to reassure citizens on the continent and also here. There is obviously an attempt to try and ramp up the pressure.”
The Brexit Secretary said there had to be “conditionality” under the Article 50 withdrawal mechanism between settling Britain’s exit payment and creating a new relationship with the EU. He told reporters: “Article 50 requires, as we negotiate the withdrawal agreement, that there’s a future framework for our new relationship going forward, so the two are linked.
“You can’t have one side fulfilling its side of the bargain and the other side not, or going slow, or failing to commit on its side.
“So, I think we do need to make sure that there’s some conditionality.”
The comments appeared at odds with Chancellor Philip Hammond, who said of the divorce payment last December: “I find it inconceivable that we as a nation would be walking away from an obligation that we recognised as an obligation.”
Mr Raab also defended the controversial Chequers Cabinet compromise on withdrawal aims, stating: “I want to make sure we can persuade everyone that we’ve got the best deal and the best plan to get the best deal.”
Asked if reports the Government was planning to stockpile food for a no deal outcome were true, Mr Raab told the BBC: “No. That kind of selective snippet that makes it into the media I think is – to the extent that the public pay attention to it – I think is unhelpful.”
Pressed on claims the M26 in Kent could partially become a lorry park, the Brexit Secretary said: “Well, no. But of course if we have no deal we will want to make sure that we’re prepared at the border with the knock-on effects that that would have if, on the EU side, they take the worst case scenario approach, which is frankly irrational. I’m confident we won’t get there.”