Britain braced for MASSIVE Brexit divorce demand from EU bosses, Europe ambassador warns
BRUSSELS is planning to whack Britain with a massive Brexit “divorce bill” after Theresa May triggers Article 50 next week, the UK’s ambassador to Europe has warned.
Juncker: Britain must pay 'hefty bill' to leave EU
Sir Tim Barrow said EU leaders were dismissive of claims that Britain could walk away without paying “a brass farthing” and would push for settlement of up to £60billion.
His warning echoed comments from EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who said the UK would have to accept the deal offered or leave with no deal at all.
Sir Tim was giving evidence to the Commons European Scrutiny Committee when asked about a House of Lords report that concluded Britain can walk away from the EU without paying a penny.
He said: “You can imagine that counterparts have an interest in other legal opinions which have been forthcoming which offer different interpretations.”
Sir Tim had the job of informing EU Council President Donald Tusk's office of the Prime Minister's Article 50 plans, which allow her to meet her self-imposed deadline of the end of March.
The notification will come 279 days after last June’s EU referendum which saw the Brexiteers win with 52 per cent of the vote.
Brexit Secretary David Davis said the move would indicate the Government is aiming to secure “a new, positive partnership between the UK and our friends and allies in the European Union”.
But Mr Juncker warned Britain may have to abandon its hopes of a trade deal if it rejects the terms offered by the EU negotiators.
The UK will have the choice to eat what's on the table or not come to the table at all
He told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag the UK would have “the choice to eat what's on the table or not come to the table at all”.
He predicted Britain's experience of withdrawal would bring the other 27 member states closer together, as they “see from the UK’s example that leaving the EU is a bad idea and] fall in love with each other again and renew their vows with the European Union”.
According to a report in The Independent, Mrs May’s Article 50 letter to Mr Tusk is likely to include the Britain’s Brexit objectives.
A Government source told the paper: “I suspect it will be quite a long letter setting out Britain’s position with regard to the negotiation. It’ll be a rehash of Lancaster House and the White Paper.
“There’s no mystery or magic to it. It’ll say it constitutes formal notification of our intention to withdraw from the EU, in accordance with the provisions of Article 50. Then it’ll go into a narrative outlining our position, yours sincerely Theresa May.”
Mrs May has already said the UK plans to withdraw from the single market, giving the UK freedom to impose greater immigration controls, and then arrange as much access as possible through a free-trade agreement with the EU.