Britain says EU is getting ‘quite cross’ over Brexit divorce bill

Reuters
(FILES) This file photo taken on July 19, 2017 shows Britain's Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union (Brexit Minister) David Davis arrives in Downing Street in central London. Britain will seek a "temporary customs union" with the European Union after Brexit, the government said Tuesday as it prepared to publish its first detailed proposals on the future partnership. Davis told BBC radio on August 15, 2017, that the transition period could last "something like two years" and would have to be over by the time of the next general election, which is set for 2022. (AFP)

LONDON: Britain said on Tuesday that the European Union’s chief negotiator was getting quite cross over the Brexit divorce bill that he thinks Britain should pay but that an agreement would be eventually made.
Brexit Secretary David Davis said he wanted to have an interim arrangement with the EU after the March 2019 exit date for trade to flow in an unfettered way.
But Davis said that chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier had got upset over the so called divorce bill which the EU wants to be agreed before it says talks can move on to Britain’s future relationship with the bloc.
“We’re going to have a long haggle,” Davis told LBC radio. “Michel is getting quite cross with us. He’s saying ‘you should make your proposal’.
“It’s going to be quite tough and difficult. But we aren’t going to be ending up paying the 10 billion a year which is what we pay now. We’re going to sort this out.”

Topics: Britain EU Brexit divorce