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Lack Of Progress On Eu Divorce Bill

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Gromit | 11:29 Fri 20th Oct 2017 | News
44 Answers
It appears that the problem is, we won’t tell the a figure that we will pay...
// Theresa May has refused to put a figure on Britain’s Brexit divorce bill during the first phase of secession negotiations as EU leaders warn she will need to make a concrete offer in order to make progress.

Speaking at the European Council summit in Brussels the Prime Minister told reporters that the figure for the liabilities bill – estimated to be at least £20 billion – would only be named at the very final stages of talks.

EU leaders and negotiators however say those final stages will only be reached once the divorce bill is finalised – continuing the deadlock between the two sides. //

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-divorce-bill-european-council-theresa-may-eu-donald-tusk-michel-barnier-a8010826.html

I had assumed they were haggling over the price, and they would eventually meet somewhere in the middle.
If the British negotiators will not reveal a figure, how can any progress be made ?
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I understand they asked for £100bn (or euros, it doesn't really matter). We offered £20bn (which is two years' normal contribution to cover the "transition" period). The issue is that the EU will talk about nothing else until that figure is agreed. Put simply, their sole concern is how much cash they can screw out of the UK. The amount has to be agreed and post-dated cheques written before they will discuss a "deal" which may or may not be acceptable. This childish attitude demonstrates clearly that they believe the UK must pay dearly to leave on terms which have not even begun to be discussed.
How about the EU send in a costed, itemised bill. To ask someone else to do your work in the hope they will get it wrong and give you more is rather, well like the EU isn't it? Until they do that there is no way we can put a figure to on any payment.

Thats how you get agreement and that is how you get your opposition onboard.
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// We offered £20bn //

That’s just it New Judge. We haven’t made that offer.
Gromit, yes she did:-
http://uk.businessinsider.com/eu-parliament-antonio-tajani-theresa-may-brexit-divorce-bill-peanuts-2017-102 days ago ... EU chief dismisses May's €20 billion Brexit divorce bill offer as 'peanuts' .
Where is our itemised costed bill that we can refer to?
Meanwhile, a story came out today that she'd upped the offer to €40 billion ... the plot thickens.

Apparently today marked some form of reasonable progress, as the EU agreed in principle to begin preparations for the upcoming trade talks.
It would appear that the current situation is that it is the press has been grossly exaggerating. According to the EU that is.
Question Author
Cassa,
There are different methodologies for working out the final bill. They are discussed here.
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/eu-divorce-bill

Dannyk,
The £20bn was originally in May’s Florence speech, but when she came to deliver it, no figure was mentioned. The EU are saying that no figure has been put on the table.
Jim....all that the EU has done is to give Teresa a longer rope to hang herself with.
Gromit, how can the EU dismiss an offer that hasn't been made?
Seen the lunchtime news Mickey?


Might not be too good for you, best sit down when you turn the tv on
Question Author
dannyk

The EU haven’t.
The UK have dismissed the EU figure, but will not say what figure they have worked out.
The £20bn figure has never been confirmed by Theresa May or the Government. The EU are saying that the UK have not put the £20bn on paper to the negotiations.
Then it was a verbal offer.
Question Author
dannyk,
She never said it.
How can it be a verbal offer, if she left it out of her speech ?
Can you explain this then:-
// EU chief dismisses May's €20 billion Brexit divorce bill offer as 'peanuts'//
Question Author
Ymb
// Might not be too good for you, best sit down when you turn the tv on //

So the EU27 are working out their position without the UK. It is always good to have an agreed plan before going into talks, if they ever happen. Not sure why the EU deciding what it is going to offer when talks begin is any form of progress. It would be surprising if they didn’t have a plan, it is not the least bit surprising they will have one when talks start.
Obviously the British public will not be told what the UK will be asking for.
Question Author
Dannyk
Before May’s Florence speech, many newspapers leaked that May would offer €20billion. This is typical

// Theresa May will on Friday afternoon open the door to Britain paying tens of billions more pounds to the EU, as she delivers what aides describe as a "generous offer" to the EU.
May's offer of around €20 billion, which is designed to restart the negotiations which had stalled over the UK's so-called divorce bill, falls well short of EU expectations which are up to five times this figure. //

The only problem is, on the day she made no offer and left the figure out.

So the EU chief is commenting on something the May was ‘expected’ to say, but didn’t.
A bit presumptuous of him then.
Question Author
dannyk
May and the UK Government will not say €20billion because we will undoubtedly pay more than that. So they have let it be known unofficially, by planting the figure in the media, off the record and unattributed.
It is a very strange way to negotiate, by whispering figures to the press which they know to be wrong.
So are you privy to a figure the EU have declared?

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