Jeremy Corbyn has accused Boris Johnson of arrogance, after the Foreign Secretary said the EU could “go whistle” if it makes “extortionate” demands over Brexit.
Mr Johnson was responding to MPs’ questions over the proposed “divorce bill” which the UK is expected to receive next week as Brexit negotiations resume in Brussels.
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has suggested the bill, which covers outstanding liabilities for programmes the UK signed up to as an EU member, as well as ongoing costs including staff pensions, could be £50 billion, while unconfirmed reports claim it could reach almost twice that.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (PA)
Tory Eurosceptic Philip Hollobone said the UK had made a net contribution of £209 billion to the EU since joining in 1973, asking: “Will you make it clear to the EU that if they want a penny piece more then they can go whistle?”
Mr Johnson replied: “I’m sure that your words will have broken like a thunderclap over Brussels and they will pay attention to what you have said.
“He makes a very valid point and I think that the sums that I have seen that they propose to demand from this country seem to me to be extortionate and I think ‘to go whistle’ is an entirely appropriate expression.”
Boris Johnson suggested EU leaders could ‘go whistle’ over the Brexit bill (PA)
Speaking outside the chamber, Mr Corbyn said: “I think it is ridiculous for the Foreign Secretary to approach important and serious negotiations with that silly, arrogant language that he so often employs.
“If you start on the basis of those silly remarks, what kind of response does he expect to get?”
Mr Corbyn is due to meet EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels on Thursday for “exploratory discussions” about the negotiations ahead.
He said Labour would “pay what we are legally required to pay”, but nothing beyond that.
Brexit Secretary David Davis is due to begin the first full round of negotiations with Mr Barnier on Monday.
David Davis is due to take part in the first full round of Brexit negotiations next week (Jonathan Brady/PA)
Mr Johnson’s comments came after Number 10 sources played down suggestions that Prime Minister Theresa May plans to walk out of Brexit talks in September to show defiance over the EU’s demands.
The Foreign Secretary said the public wanted the Government to “get on and deliver a great Brexit”, insisting “there is no plan for no deal because we are going to get a great deal”.
His comments were dismissed as absurd by Labour MP Chris Bryant, a leading member of the Open Britain campaign for continuing close links with the EU.
.@RhonddaBryant: Boris’ bluster on ‘no deal’ makes him sound like Trump’s spokesman, not the Foreign Secretary https://t.co/IHV7hAw7CA pic.twitter.com/9UEjbBPWdJ
— Open Britain (@Open_Britain) July 11, 2017
“Boris Johnson’s bluster about getting a ‘great deal’ makes him sound like Donald Trump’s unofficial spokesman, not the British Foreign Secretary,” he said.
But Mr Johnson’s remarks were welcomed by Ukip Brexit spokesman Gerard Batten, who said the UK did not owe the EU “a penny”.
“The Government should tell the EU to get lost. It should seize the initiative in the Brexit ‘negotiations’ and tell the EU how we are leaving – not ask it how.”
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel