THERESA MAY is to go over Michel Barnier’s head and take Brexit negotiations directly to Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron.
French Republican Barnier, the European Chief Negotiator for Brexit, is demanding Britain stump up as much as €100 BILLION before negotiations can even begin.
The explanation for this huge figure – which Britain would continue paying long after leaving the European Union – remains opaque.
And Britain’s own Brexit negotiator David Davis has been openly scathing about the randomness of Barnier’s department’s “divorce settlement” figure – indicating it is a huge stumbling block to meaningful discussions.
But at an emergency cabinet meeting at No 10 today Prime Minster Theresa May told her team that the EU “divorce settlement” figure she was prepared to work with was in the region of €20bn to €30BN.
More pressingly, and more humiliatingly for the self-aggrandising Barnier, Mrs May was expected to indicate she was prepared to go over his head and open direct discussions with heads of European nation states such as Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron.
A source close to No 10 said: “She will try to resolve the deadlock anyway she can and if this means bypassing Barnier and appealing directly to heads of state then so be it.
“To be honest Barnier is coming across more like a schoolyard bully than an international diplomat. His approach is no help for either side.”
Mrs May is due to deliver a landmark Brexit speech on a visit to Florence on Friday. She has already indicated she is losing patience with Barnier’s intransigence.
Ahead of the visit she said: “The negotiations are structured within the European Union do of course the council has delegated a mandate to the commission, the commission has appointed Michel Barnier but the decision will always be one taken by leaders.”
At this morning’s cabinet meeting Mrs May hoped to convince foreign secretary Boris Johnson and other senior ministers to that her vision of Brexit was still rock solid and there was no “softening”
Earlier this week it was reported Mr Johnson threatened to resign if Mrs May made too many compromises with the EU.
The Prime Minister’s speech tomorrow will be hugely important bid to break the impasse in the Brexit negotiations created by Barnier’s implacable stance.
One cabinet minster today told the BBC Mrs May would make an “open and generous offer” to the EU.
But another minister warned against the prime minister making too big a cash offer so early in negotiations, and added: “It’s our only leverage.”
New reports today claimed Mr Barnier has told business executives and private citizens groups the UK will not achieve any “special” trade deal without “lengthy negotiations” after its official departure.
And Politico website said Mr Barnier had been even more candid in private than public.
He is adamant Britain must honour payments to the EU’s current long-term budget until at least 2020.
He is quoted as saying: “We don’t accept to pay as 27 what has been decided at 28. It’s as simple as that. No way.”