Danish minister tells EU to stop playing Brexit games
THE European Union is playing a “game” over demands for a Brexit divorce bill and should reach a “speedy” compromise on the issue, Denmark’s finance minister has said.
Kristian Jensen said the negotiations were “not rocket science” as he called on both sides to reach a compromise.
It comes after The Sunday Telegraph revealed Theresa May has decided to commit billions of pounds on preparing Britain to leave the European Union without a deal in a bid to save her premiership.
Mr Jensen’s intervention comes just weeks after a meeting in Copenhagen with David Davis, Britain’s Brexit Secretary.
In an interview with The Guardian, he said: “In any political negotiations, there is not enough time, not enough money, not enough this, not enough that.
“This is part of the game. Because what we are dealing with here is not rocket science. We are not speaking about putting a man on Mars or solving the problem of CO2 emissions. We are now on the same page … In my view it is rather important we get into a more close and more speedy process on concluding some of the issues.”
He also called for a compromise, saying: “We are talking about a political agreement between two parties,” he said. “If there is one thing politicians are good at doing it is making an agreement, if the political will is there.
“This will never be a 100 per cent win for one side or the other side. This will be a political compromise.”
It comes amid reports that Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, is planning to sanction the Brexit spending in the new year to prepare the UK for leaving in March 2019 without a deal.
The cash – which is not expected to appear in the Budget – will be spent on new technology to speed up customs checks at the borders if the UK has to revert to a World Trade Organisation tariff system, and a range of other measures.
The Government is already working on plans to deal with air traffic control and migration in the event of a “hard Brexit”. Talks begin again with EU officials in Brussels today.