Brexit Secretary Slams EU Negotiators, Feels ‘More at Home’ in Washington

David Davis has said talks with the European Union (EU) on the UK’s Brexit ‘divorce bill’ are “getting a bit tense”, whilst appearing to agree he felt “more at home” in the U.S capital than in Brussels.

Giving a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, the Brexit secretary said the third round of Brexit talks had seen “tough” discussions regarding the size of the EU’s demanded payment and its legal grounding.

He said he had not ruled anything out regarding whether Britain would pay a sum during a transition period, adding:

“What’s been going on is that we have got to the point today where there has been some pressure over the last couple of days, pressure over the question of whether we pay a divorce bill, a separation bill, and if so what it is.

“What we’ve been doing, as you do when someone provides you with a large bill, is go through it line-by-line. And we’ve got very good lawyers.”

He continued: “We are in a difficult and tough and complicated negotiation. I have said from the beginning it will be turbulent.

“What we’re having at the moment is the first ripple and there will be many more ripples along the way.”

A BBC journalist asked later: “Do you feel a lot more welcome in this town than you ever do in Brussels?” Mr. Davis did not disagree, and went on to describe why doing business with the EU is difficult.

He fondly recalled being described as a “charming bastard” by an EU negotiator in Brussels in the mid-1990s, and said it was sometimes necessary to not be friendly with the EU.

“He said ‘David is a …charming bastard’. So the headline on the front page of the Financial Times was ‘Charming Bastard’ and I was rather proud it, because you had to be both – charming but sometimes difficult.

“And that is the nature of what you are seeing now is there are going to be tough times.

“There are going to be tough times but the trick is to remember that at the end of it we want an outcome which is in everyone’s interest. This is not a zero sum game.”

On Thursday, Mr. Davis clashed with the EU’s chief negotiator in an acrimonious press conference, saying there were deep disagreements over payments and the EU’s refusal to discuss a future relationship until a bill is agreed.

In contrast, U.S. President Donald J. Trump has spoken fondly of the UK and said he wants a new trade deal with the nation as quickly as possible.