Davis meets with key negotiator in Brussels to pave way for Brexit

With analysts saying that Britain faces slower growth next year after voting to leave the European Union in a referendum in June, May wants to kickstart the economy to help those she has described as “just managing” and who largely voted in favour of Brexit.

David Davies, our esteemed Brexit Minister, has been accused of not really having any idea what Brexit means.

His comments came after Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem last week described the UK’s approach to Brexit as “unrealistic”, while Italian Economic Development Minister Carlo Calenda said its aim of retaining common market access while restricting immigration was “wishful thinking”.

“I don’t see things moving in the right direction”, the representative said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“Brexit means Brexit so we’re going to have to cut back on our relationships, it’s not a cherry-picking situation at all”, he warned.

“It’s going to be a period that is very intense”, Verhofstadt warned, predicting that formal negotiations would likely start in May 2017, two months after British Prime Minister Theresa May triggers the two-year divorce process, which she has indicated will happen next March.

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, parliamentary adviser to Conservatives Abroad which has campaigned on voting rights for expats, said suggestions that a deal was close was “fantastic news for them, their family and friends”.

He said he found Verhofstadt “a very nice man”.

Westminster sources said Mrs May had raised the issue of reciprocal rights for Britons overseas and European Union nationals in this country in her talks with other leaders in recent months.

“We must be two partners with a common cause: two signatories to the same contract, securing the best possible result for the British people”, he said.

Mr Davis and Mr Verhofstadt laughed off an exchange before the meeting where Mr Davis had been reported as referring to Mr Verhofstadt as Satan.

“When a small minority of businesses and business figures appear to game the system and work to a different set of rules, we have to recognize that the social contract between business and society fails – and the reputation of business as a whole is undermined”, she said.

“These four freedoms are key; they are a basic element of the European Union – the freedom of movement of goods, of services, of capital and of people”, he added.

A European Commission spokesman said: “Michel Barnier had a courtesy coffee today with Mr David Davis, at his request, to re-establish contact”.

Senior figures in the European Parliament warned Britain on Tuesday that it can not “cherry pick” from members of the European Union, after Brexit minister David Davis met senior EU negotiators for talks on Britain’s forthcoming exit from the bloc.