British negotiators dismantle legal basis for EU divorce bill in tense showdown

[-:Undertaker:-]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017...ors-dismantle/

Brexit showdown: EU left 'flabbergasted' after British negotiators dismantle legal basis for divorce bill

UK Brexit officials have criticised their EU counterparts describing them as "incapable of being able to carry out the Brexit negotiations"

— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) August 30, 2017

Mr Barnier wants the UK to set out its calculation of the exit bill. That’s easy. The bill is zero. Nothing. Zilch. #Brexit

— John Redwood (@johnredwood) August 30, 2017

EU Brexit negotiators were left “flabbergasted” after their British counterparts launched a legal deconstruction of the so-called “Brexit bill” Wednesday as the Brussels talks headed for an increasingly acrimonious impasse, EU sources have told The Telegraph.

British negotiators spent three hours launching a painstaking, line-by-line rebuttal of the EU’s demands for €100bn divorce settlement to the barely concealed fury of EU negotiators.

"There was total amazement,” the EU source said, “Everyone was completely flabbergasted that this young man from Whitehall was saying that the EU's preparation on the financial settlement was 'inadequate'. It did not go down well."

The “intense” exchanges were the first time the two sides have butted heads over the details of the divorce bill and sets up what is expected to be a frosty joint press conference on Thursday between David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, and Michel Barnier, the EU negotiator.

Finally some determination from Whitehall to fight Britain's corner. The past few months has been EU officials constantly briefing against us saying we are not prepared and so on when the total opposite is true - the EU hasn't even published position papers on each topic and are dragging their feet. Time to fire back.

Thoughts?

[MightyMagician]

If all of Europe left the EU, the world would be a better place.

[dbgtz]

quiet bat people

[-:Undertaker:-]

WATCH | David Davis reminds EU parasite Barnier that he serves taxpayers: a foreign concept to unelected Eurocrats!https://t.co/eAm2CWiJ8P pic.twitter.com/HinhLtHIiY

— Leave.EU (@LeaveEUOfficial) August 31, 2017

Ouch! Barnier accuses UK of "nostalgia" in its Brexit demands. DD shoots back: "I wouldn't confuse belief in the free market with nostalgia"

— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) August 31, 2017

It's wonderful to see after all these years of being ripped by this den of thieves our country standing up for itself. :8

[FlyingJesus]

What IS the reason for the "divorce bill"? Makes it sound like we're part of an X-length contract that we're bowing out of early, which as far as I'm aware isn't the case. If there are certain projects we've already pledged to then that I suppose makes some sense but all I've ever seen of it is "NO YOU OWE US MONEY" despite us being a contributor not a leech

[-:Undertaker:-]

What IS the reason for the "divorce bill"? Makes it sound like we're part of an X-length contract that we're bowing out of early, which as far as I'm aware isn't the case. If there are certain projects we've already pledged to then that I suppose makes some sense but all I've ever seen of it is "NO YOU OWE US MONEY" despite us being a contributor not a leech

Absolutely, reminds me of those dodgy gym contracts where they sting you for wanting to escape.

I think it is right that we pay our budget contributions to the day of leaving but after? Nilch. And really we should be taking a deduction from our final payments as we're owed a share of the assets (expensive buildings) that we've paid in for over 44 years.

Is there any free trade deal in the world between major economies that involves one side paying the other for access (but not vice versa)? https://t.co/nrrCezOOAO

— Andrew Neil (@afneil) September 1, 2017