UK 'absent' in Brexit talks, says former British diplomat

The UK's was accused of being “a bit absent” from Brexit negotiations, a former head of the Foreign Office said.

Sir Simon Fraser, head of the diplomatic service at the Foreign Office until 2015, told the BBC initial formal talks on Britain's departure from the European Union had not started well due to infighting among cabinet ministers.

"The negotiations have only just begun, I don't think they have begun particularly promisingly, frankly, on the British side," he said.

"We haven't put forward a lot because, as we know, there are differences within the cabinet about the sort of Brexit that we are heading for and until those differences are further resolved I think it's very difficult for us to have a clear position."

"I think so far we haven't put much on the table apart from something on the status of nationals, so we are a bit absent from the formal negotiation."

Fraser said the government needed to make public its position on matters such as future customs arrangements and the Northern Irish border in the coming weeks.

"I think we need to demonstrate that we are ready to engage on the substance so that people can understand what is really at stake here and what the options are," he said.

Downing Street was forced to deny weekend reports that Britain is prepared to pay a do-called “divorce bill” of up to £36bn, to kick-start the exit talks.

The EU has insisted it will not discuss future trade until “substantial progress” has been made on the financial settlement, EU citizens and Northern Ireland.