Eurocrats warn that Brexit talks are more likely to FAIL because of chaos caused by PM’s election disaster
EU LEADERS today warned Britain that election chaos makes it more likely we will end up crashing out of Europe without a trade deal.
Brexit talks are due to start in just ten days - but eurocrats say they could be delayed as Theresa May scrambles to put together a new government.
However, the European Council president cautioned the UK not to leave it too late - because the longer we delay, the more likely we are to reach "no deal" on Brexit.
Donald Tusk said: "We don't know when Brexit talks start. We know when they must end. Do your best to avoid a 'no deal' as result of 'no negotiations'."
Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, suggested that the start date of June 19 could be pushed back due to the election result.
He wrote on Twitter: "Brexit negotiations should start when UK is ready; timetable and EU positions are clear. Let's put our minds together on striking a deal."
If it takes time for Mrs May to cobble together a viable government, then the talks may have to be delayed from their scheduled start on June 19, throwing the whole Brexit timetable into doubt.
But even once the negotiations do talk, the PM will be weakened by having to pander to coalition partners - probably from the Democratic Unionist Party - and hardliners in her own party.
Mr Tusk sent a letter to Mrs May congratulating her on staying in her post and adding: "Our shared responsibility and urgent task now is to conduct the negotiations on the UK's withdrawal from the European Union in the best possible spirit, securing the least disruptive outcome for our citizens, businesses and countries after March 2019.
"The time-frame set by Article 50 of the Treaty leaves us with no time to lose.
"I am fully committed to maintaining regular and close contact at our level to facilitate the work of our negotiators."
The new Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar suggested that Mrs May's lost majority would force her into accepting a softer Brexit.
He said today: "The results of the UK election indicate to me that there is no strong mandate to proceed with a hard Brexit, which represents an opportunity for Ireland."
Gunther Oettinger, the EU's budget commissioner, today said he did not know whether or not the talks will go ahead.
"We need a government that can act," Oettinger told the Deutschlandfunk radio station. "With a weak negotiating partner, there's the danger that the negotiations will turn out badly."
Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament's Brexit representative, tweeted: "Yet another own goal, after Cameron now May, will make already complex negotiations even more complicated."
Manfred Weber, a Merkel ally who is the most senior conservative in the European Parliament, argued that Britain was "deeply split" as a result of the election.
He said: "PM May wanted stability but brought chaos to her country instead."
And Norway's foreign minister Boerge Brende suggested that the election chaos could lead to a softer Brexit, saying: "Maybe Britain will have to show greater flexibility in the negotiations."
European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said Brussels was "desperately" waiting for the talks to start.
He said: "I do strongly hope that Britain will stay ready to open negotiations. As far as the Commission is concerned, we can open negotiations tomorrow morning at half-past nine.
"I do hope that the result of the election will have no major impact on the negotiations we are desperately waiting for."
Ukip claimed last night that the whole Brexit project is in jeopardy because of the election result - with Nigel Farage saying he might return to politics to ensure Britain does end up leaving the EU.
If Mrs May does not manage to put together a government, Jeremy Corbyn is likely to team up with the Lib Dems and the SNP, who could demand a second referendum on the EU as a condition of their support.
Mrs May cited the imminent Brexit negotiations as one reason to call the snap election.
She was hoping to gain authority from a larger majority, allowing her to ignore critics in her own party and hold a harder line in negotiations with Europe.
In a speech last week, the PM warned that Jeremy Corbyn would be "naked and alone" when dealing with EU leaders.
But European politicians such as Angela Merkel may feel emboldened by Mrs May's failure to secure a landslide election win.
That means the EU may look to strike a harder bargain on issues such as whether the European courts can still oversee British laws under the terms of a new free-trade deal.
But in the short term at least, European leaders are likely to be disoriented at having to deal with Britain while we experience political turmoil, putting talks at further risk.
Mrs May will also have difficulty standing up to her Eurosceptic backbenchers who might threaten to bring down the government if the PM does not push a tough line.
Nigel Farage said last night that if Jeremy Corbyn becomes Prime Minister, he will "have absolutely no choice" but to re-enter active politics.
The ex-Ukip boss said: "If we get a Corbyn election, then Brexit is in trouble. If we get a coalition with him and the SNP then we may well be looking down the barrel of a second referendum."
Current Ukip boss Paul Nuttall blasted that Brussels “will have looked at the exit polls and be cheering very loudly because right now, if we believe the exit polls, Brexit is under a bit of threat”.
He added: “If the exit poll is true then Theresa May has put Brexit in jeopardy. I said at the start this election was wrong. Hubris.”
Former Labour spin chief and ardent Europhile Alistair Campbell said: “I cannot see Brexit happening on the current Article 50 timetable.”
And Ed Miliband added: "We know Theresa May can't now negotiate Brexit for Britain because she told us losing majority would destroy her authority - and it has."
Tory grandee Ken Clarke said the results indicated Britain was on course for an “interesting Parliament”.
The arch-Remainer continued: “If we continue with another Parliament with a small majority, then firstly we will have to have some deeper debates... particularly on Brexit.”
He went on: “We face some appalling difficulties in my opinion, this is a critical stage for us — politics is changing.”
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Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator on Brexit, announced last month that talks would start on June 19.
However, Brussels officials have indicated that that date could be moved back if Britain is not prepared for the negotiations.
Assuming Mrs May does fall short of a majority, it could take a week or more for her to strike deals with other parties so she can stay in Downing St.
And if Mr Corbyn did pull off a shock win - probably with the support of the SNP and Lib Dems - he would have to scramble to put together a negotiating team.
Asked before the election if the talks could be pushed back, a European Commission source said: "They have got to agree the date, so yes.
"If the UK was to turn around and say, ‘we need a bit of leeway’ – we don’t have a lot of leeway in the big scheme of things."
Even if the start of talks is delayed, the date Britain formally leaves the EU - March 29, 2019 - cannot be changed according to Article 50 of the main European treaty.
The longer the delay in negotiations, the less time Britain and the EU will have to agree on issues such as a trade deal, immigration and the right of European citizens to continue living in the UK.
And a shortened timetable for talks may make it easier for Brussels to force the UK to pay an exit bill which could add up to as much as £85billion.
Some of the key details from the turbulent night so far:
- Tories predicted to miss out on majority of 326 with polls predicting 314 seats - down from 330
- Labour forecast to take 266 - up from 232 in 2015
- Theresa May faces mounting pressure – with the odds slashed on Boris Johnson to be the next PM
- Fears grow Brexit negotiations could be sunk if Mrs May does not secure a majority
- Lib Dem Nick Clegg loses Sheffield Hallam seat but Vince Cable regains Twickenham while leader Tim Farron clings on
- Home Secretary Amber Rudd holds on to Hastings seat by barely 300 votes