Government Brexit Secretary David Davis has dismissed claims of a €100 billion bill facing the UK, as it looks towards exiting the European Union.
Reports had been circulating that the European Union has identified that the UK would have to pay €100 billion bill to finalise Brexit, up from initial estimates of €60 million.
In an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Davis said: “We will not be paying €100 billion”, dismissing the claims and adding that the UK had yet to see an official figure.
Davis added: “Our intention is to get an agreement; we have to maintain the alternative option. That’s why Theresa [May] said no deal is better than a bad deal. This morning you see demands for €100 billion in the papers. It has gone from €50 billion, to €60 billion to €100 billion. It rather actually proves her point. I know that is not where we will end up. The simple truth is this is going to be a tough negotiation.”
This follows comments by Theresa May, in which she asserted that EU commissioner Jean-Claude Juncker would find her to be a “bloody difficult woman” in forthcoming Brexit negotiations.
Despite mounting pressure arising from the EU for the Prime Minister to clarify her position with regards to negotiations, May has since dismissed reports of tension between EU leaders as “Brussels gossip”.
As Brexit negotiations continue to play out, the government is also in the midst of campaigning for the upcoming snap election in June. Whilst initially, polls had placed the Conservatives with a sizable lead, in recent weeks the gulf has minimized as the election race heats up.
In an interview with Andrew Marr, Prime Minister May was criticized for relying on soundbites and as ultimately coming across as “robotic” as she continued to reinforce her campaign slogan of “strong and stable leadership”.
According to the latest YouGov poll, voting intentions show Conservatives on 44 percent and Labour on 31 percent, giving the Tories a 13 point lead.