UK will pull plug on Brexit talks if EU demands €100bn, Davis says
Brexit minister David Davis has warned that negotiations between the UK and the EU will break down if the bloc stands firm on its demand for a €100bn exit bill.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Davis said that the upcoming discussions between the sides would be plunged into "crisis" if the EU's team refuse to discuss a trade deal before agreeing on the cost bill.
European states want the payment from Britain for liabilities it would have to cover following its departure, which was kickstarted when Britons voted to leave in last June's referendum.
"We don't need to just look like we can walk away, we need to be able to walk away," Davis said. "Under the circumstances, if that were necessary, we would be in a position to do it."
"We don't need to just look like we can walk away, we need to be able to walk away," David Davis
Talks between the EU and Britain are likely to follow the general election in the UK on 8 June, with both sides talking a tough game ahead of the negotiations.
Davis added in the interview that he regarded "€1bn as a lot of money", and called on other EU members to reconsider their position in order to ensure the talks are successful.
In another interview with The Telegraph, PM Theresa May said that European leaders must take into account how much of a contribution Britain has made to the bloc before it voted to leave.
"There is much debate about what the UK’s obligations might be, or indeed what our rights might be in terms of money being paid in the past. We would look at those, both rights and obligations," May said.