Tory MPs challenge EU boss Juncker to reveal ‘FULL BREAKDOWN’ of £50bn Brexit bill
TOP BRUSSELS bureaucrat Jean-Claude Juncker has been challenged to set out a “full breakdown” of the EU’s "provocative" demand for a £50billion Brexit fee.
Juncker: Brexit will be a difficult negotiation
The European Commission’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier is reported to be ready to hit Theresa May with a divorce payment of between €50 billion-€60 billion for “outstanding liabilities” when Brexit talks begin later this year.
Mr Juncker, president of the European Commission, this week appeared to confirm such a bill by warning Britain of the “hefty” cost for leaving the EU.
He insisted the UK could not expect a "cut-price or zero-cost" Brexit.
But a Tory MP has warned Mr Juncker the EU’s “credibility” now relies on Brussels officials being able to back up such a demand by setting out “in detail” their calculations for an exit fee.
South Thanet MP Craig MacKinlay, vice-chair of the Brexit-backing European Research Group of Conservatives, said: “With Jean-Claude Juncker and Michael Barnier seemingly working to the same speculative figure of £50billion as the divorce bill payable by the UK on Brexit, this must be seen as either unhelpful or provocative.
“Now that a seemingly settled figure hangs in the air, I challenge them to set out in detail a full breakdown of their calculations and any claimed legal basis for each line of liability.
”The credibility of the European Commission in any forthcoming negotiations around the withdrawal of the UK from the EU relies on their ability to justify claims they have made.
“It is now important for the European Commission to come clean on this issue.”
It is now important for the European Commission to come clean on this issue.
The EU’s demand for a Brexit fee is believed to be based on the bloc’s desire for the UK to continue paying into the Brussels budget until the end of 2020, along with outstanding pension liabilities and loan guarantees.
But Brexit campaigners have urged the Government to combat demands for an exit fee by claiming the UK should be entitled to a share of EU estimated £130billion assets - such as cash, property and other financial assets.