[hibeejim21]

"I understand we agreed a timetable when article 50 was triggered but you don't pay the money upfront without getting something in return"


Well the tories should have left it out their article 50 letter then. But think about it matt. Why would the UK cave on that ? Should be our strongest hand. We are a large net contributor.... but....

the UK also has a sizeable rebate, plus the net fall will be less than 10% of Europe's GDP growth. If the UK did not pay what it owes, it is a problem for europe, but survivable. For the UK on the other hand no deal means financial meltdown. The clock is ticking and time is not on our side.


"No one expects them to bend over backwards but they and the UK should leave on good terms and still be friends. "

I do agree, but to a large degree the tories and the brexiters have pissed the EU off so much it has hardened their attitudes completely. Like davis saying at the start that there is no legal obligation for any EU claim,or someone telling the EU they can "go whistle" for their money,or by playing to the nationalist mobs. The tories haven't entered this in the spirit of friendship,and they have upset a lot of people as a result.

Plus as you point out the tories are xxxx clueless whilst the EU has been 100% prepared for some time. Read the link below - it shows you how out their depth the government is on this. Its like an episode from xxxx dads army.


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/...es-bemused


"Davis committed his own Brexit blunder the day Article 50 was triggered in March, according to EU and British officials, when he placed a call to Timo Soini, Finland’s foreign minister and a critic of the EU. Having been told he was speaking to Soini, Davis announced down the phone in enthusiastic terms that Brexit had begun, and that he needed the Finn’s support to secure a good deal from the EU.

Only when he heard the voice at the other end of the line did Davis realize he was in fact speaking to Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator."