Theresa May 'prepared to accept £50bn Brexit bill'
2 min read
Theresa May is prepared to agree a Brexit 'divorce bill' of £50bn with the European Union in a bid to kickstart trade talks, it has been reported.
The Prime Minister is said to have told civil servants to draw up plans to pay between £7bn and £17bn a year for three years after the UK quits the bloc.
But she is trying to keep the plan under wraps until next month in a bid to avoid a row at the Conservative party conference.
The EU is thought to be demanding a divorce payment of around £92bn and has refused to progress with talks on the UK’s post-Brexit arrangements until positions on the final bill, citizens' rights and the Irish border are settled.
Senior Tory figures told The Sunday Times that while negotiators are preparing to open with a bill of £20bn to £30bn, the figure could double as a result of Theresa May’s diminished position following June’s disastrous election result in which the Conservatives lost their majority.
Furthermore, Tories argue that by staggering payments over the three years, ministers can say that the payments are around the same level as the current £13.1bn paid to the EU per year, after the UK’s rebate has been applied.
Although No 10 said they did not recognise the plans, a party source told the paper: “They are planning to do the Brexit bill and how much they’re going to pay after party conference.
“They would look to do it as yearly payments for the transitional period. They think the bill has gone up since the election."
The figure emerged as MPs prepare to debate the Government's EU Withdrawal Bill this week.
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