ANGELA MERKEL’S key ally Manfred Weber insisted Britain must pay its Brexit divorce bill as it “promised to do”.
The German MEP said paying the Brexit bill was “simply fairness” and Britain had to meet “its commitments”.
Brexit talks remain deadlocked with Britain refusing to bow to stubborn European Union demands for a £90billion (€100billion) divorce settlement.
The EU has set a deadline for the UK to outline how much it is prepared to pay before a crucial summit next month.
Mr Weber, chairman of the European People’s Party, added Theresa May’s key Brexit speech in Florence, where she committed to paying an amount to the EU, was a “good starting point”.
He said: “When somebody is leaving the club then such a person, or such a member state has to pay the open bill and that is what we are asking for.
“Simply fairness, simply to do what you promised to do. That is the starting point and I think that the statement in Florence, already to be clear on 2019 and 2020, was already a good starting point for clarifying these commitments for the so-called sufficient progress question for the December council.
“The most important thing is not the figure, the most important thing is to clarify the commitments, the areas where Great Britain has to see its commitments.”
Brussels officials are braced for crunch Brexit talks to end in failure next month, according to sources close to the negotiations.
Theresa May and Brexit Secretary David Davis insist the UK has already offered concessions and says it is now up to the EU to show some flexibility at the negotiating table.
But the view in Brussels is that the UK has to make a bigger divorce bill offer before the EU will agree to move talks on to the trade deal that Britain wants.
The sources said if the stalemate is not broken by December the EU will wait until next year rather than try to force the issue or move to a Plan B.
They said a summit, possibly in January or February, could provide a second chance for a breakthrough.
Britain is due to sever ties with Brussels in March 2019 with or without a deal.