The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly against progressing Brexit negotiations on to trade talks, deciding that Britain has not made “sufficient progress” on its demands with respect to the EU court and a so-called divorce bill.
The president of the parliament — which is largely unable to initiate or repeal EU legislation and policy, only debate and propose amendments to it — had previously raised eyebrows by declaring that “sufficient progress” had not been made before the previous round of negotiations had even finished.
The non-binding vote comes as Bloomberg reports that Theresa May — under pressure from Brexit supporters for “appeasing” the EU — is making her Florence offer to fulfil £20 billion in EU spending commitments after Brexit conditional on a broader deal, putting a successful settlement in serious doubt.
The United Kingdom has offered a number of concessions to the EU on budget contributions, the rights of EU nationals after Brexit, and even a ‘transition period’ of two or more years after 2019 in which Britain’s relationship with the EU would remain effectively unchanged — but, despite eurocrats gloating that they “pretty much dictated” Theresa May’s pledges in Florence, the bloc has yet to respond in kind.
Indeed, its latest rejection of Britain’s efforts to open trade talks follows reports that Theresa May was prepared to up her offer to Brussels to an astonishing £40 billion.
Brexit campaign leader Nigel Farage described Theresa May’s performance in Florence as “pitiful” in remarks following a speech on the EU’s indifference to police brutality in Catalonia, saying Britain needs a “proper prime minister” capable of setting deadlines for constructive talks and walking away from negotiations to prepare for trade under World Trade Organization terms if the EU will not meet them.
“The European Parliament has voted by a massive majority of 557 supporting a resolution that basically wants Britain to be humiliated, to go down on our knees, to make a whole series of concessions before they even begin to talk to us about a trade deal,” the MEP observed in a further statement.
“And when you think that at the end of the Commission and the British Government going through protracted negotiations, the European Parliament can veto that deal.
“It’s beginning to feel to me like we’re wasting our time here. Let’s crack on and get out as soon as possible.”
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