Free Republic

Britain’s foreign secretary says Brussels may have to pay Britain for its exit from the European Union, rather than the other way around. Boris Johnson says Britain’s share of EU assets is so valuable that the EU may have to end up paying Britain when it leaves the bloc. He spoke to The Telegraph newspaper. […] The outspoken politician called Brussels “ruthless in its negotiating techniques” and said “they are going to play dirty.” …

The European Union (EU) has dramatically increased the size of the “divorce” bill it is demanding the UK pays before leaving the bloc, to 100 billion euros. The new figure, equivalent £84.5 billion, reflects stricter demands made by Germany and France, in particular in relation to post-Brexit farm payments and EU administration fees, according to an analysis by the Financial Times. European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier have previously said the UK would be expected to pay around €60 billion (£50.75 billion). The British Government’s lawyers, however, and a House of Lords committee have said...

The bill for Britain’s Brexit divorce settlement is growing ever longer, with leaders in Brussels now saying that Britain should continue to pick up a portion of the tab for migrants living in Turkey beyond accession. Initial demands that Britain should pay into the European Union’s seven-year Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) until it expires at the end of 2020 – a year after Brexit – have since expanded to include references to “issues resulting from” the budget, as well as those related to the European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Development Fund (EDF). German representatives are now suggesting that “issues”...