Labour’s Emily Thornberry warned today that there is set to be ‘no deal’ over Brexit – as she accused the PM of ‘intransigence’ on Brussels demands for a huge divorce bill.
The shadow foreign secretary dismissed suggestions of a breakthrough at the EU summit last week, saying she doubted there had been a shift in ‘substance’.
And she effectively took the EU’s side in the row over calls for Britain to pay up to 100billion euros, putting the blame for slow progress on Theresa May’s refusal to compromise.
Appearing on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show today, Labour’s Emily Thornberry warned that there is set to be ‘no deal’ over Brexit
Ms Thornberry blamed Mrs May’s ‘intransigence’ for slow progress in talks but refused to say how much Labour would be prepared to pay in a divorce deal
Theresa May (pictured centre) was given some encouragement by German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) at an EU summit last week, but Emmanuel Macron struck a tougher tone
The comments came after Mrs May was given a distinctly warmer reception at the EU gathering in Britain last week, with leaders including Angela Merkel striking an optimistic tone about the prospects of starting trade talks.
But French president Emmanuel Macron took a tougher line, insisting the UK’s offer so far to contribute 20billion euros during a two-year transition was not even ‘halfway’ to what was required.
Mrs Thornberry played down the idea the summit had been positive for the UK, telling the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: ‘There might be a change in atmosphere but there also has to be a change in substance.’
She said the ‘intransigence’ was down to Mrs May, who has been resisting calls to commit to a bigger divorce payment.
‘I think what we may be seeing is the Europeans trying to make it clear that it is not their fault that there are these difficulties, the intransigence does not come from their side, it comes from Theresa May’s side,’ she said.
‘And in the end I think the reality is intransigence is on Theresa May’s side, because she doesn’t have the strength or the authority to be able to control her backbenchers, let alone her Cabinet, and I think we are heading for no deal, and I think that that is a serious threat to Britain and it is not in Britain’s interests for that to happen.’
NO DIVORCE BILL FIGURE UNTIL BREXIT DEAL IS CLEAR, SAYS LIAM FOX
Dr Fox dismissed claims the UK was bluffing about preparing for ‘no deal’
Liam Fox today insisted there will be no final commitment to a divorce bill until the ‘end state’ of future relations with the EU is known.
The International Trade Secretary told ITV’s Peston programme that Mr Macron was ‘completely wrong’ to suggest the UK was ‘bluffing’ about making preparations for a no deal scenario.
Dr Fox said leaving without an agreement and trading on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms was ‘not exactly a nightmare scenario’.
But he stressed he would ‘prefer to have a deal because it would give greater certainty and almost certainly greater openness’ and said reaching agreement does not need to be complicated if there is political will.
‘I don’t think they’re (the negotiations) difficult in terms of the trade law or the trade negotiations themselves. The difficulty is the politics,’ Dr Fox said.
‘In other words, how much does the European Commission and the European elite want to punish Britain for having the audacity to use our legal rights to leave the European Union.
‘That’s the thing.
‘And what will the price be for the prosperity of European citizens of that decision?
‘I would hope that economic sense would dictate that we put the prosperity agenda of the whole of the European continent in a global context at the top of that agenda not ever closer union, in other words the drive by the Commission towards their political objective which has a near-theological level.’
But Mrs Thornberry declined to say what figure Labour would be prepared to sign up to.
Meanwhile, international trade secretary Liam Fox insisted there would be no final commitment to a divorce bill until the ‘end state’ of future relations with the EU was known.
He told ITV’s Peston programme that Mr Macron was ‘completely wrong’ to suggest the UK was ‘bluffing’ about making preparations for a no deal scenario.
Dr Fox said leaving without an agreement and trading on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms was ‘not exactly a nightmare scenario’.
But he stressed he would ‘prefer to have a deal because it would give greater certainty and almost certainly greater openness’ and said reaching agreement does not need to be complicated if there is political will.
‘I don’t think they’re (the negotiations) difficult in terms of the trade law or the trade negotiations themselves. The difficulty is the politics,’ Dr Fox said.
‘In other words, how much does the European Commission and the European elite want to punish Britain for having the audacity to use our legal rights to leave the European Union.
‘That’s the thing.
‘And what will the price be for the prosperity of European citizens of that decision?
‘I would hope that economic sense would dictate that we put the prosperity agenda of the whole of the European continent in a global context at the top of that agenda not ever closer union, in other words the drive by the Commission towards their political objective which has a near-theological level.’
Meanwhile, Mrs May is facing a bitter battle over the Brexit Bill after Labour vowed to join forces with Tory rebels to force a binding vote on any deal with the EU.
Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer set a series of red lines including the Commons being given final approval of the withdrawal agreement.
The intervention will further complicate the government’s task in pushing the crucial Withdrawal Bill through parliament.
Ministers have been dragging their feet about bringing the legislation back to the House, after more than 300 amendments were tabled in a bid to water down the approach to Brexit.
Theresa May, pictured attending church with husband Philip in her Maidenhead constituency today, is fighting to push through EU withdrawal legislation
Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer has set a series of red lines for the Brexit Bill today including the Commons being given final approval of the withdrawal agreement