“The British referendum was a disappointment for all of us”, said in his turn the Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte, whose country held the European Union rotating presidency in the first part of the year.
Advertisement
Nigel Farage, head of the UK Independence Party and key figure in the “Leave” camp, told a jeering European Parliament on Tuesday that the joke was now on them.
It came as the domestic tremors from the referendum shock continued, with Mr Cameron urging the embattled head of the opposition Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, to step down, saying “for heaven’s sake man, go”.
European Union leaders are meeting today for the first time without Britain to discuss the aftermath of the Brexit, but conflicting visions of Europe’s future are complicating the high-stakes summit. “Leaders made it crystal clear today that access to the single market requires acceptance of all four freedoms including freedom of movement”, Tusk added.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also reiterated that there would be no discussions with the United Kingdom until Article 50 was formally triggered by the United Kingdom government.
British Prime Minister David Cameron left Brussels Tuesday night without any clear divorce plan, fending off pressure for a quick exit and punting the complex departure negotiations to his successor.
Speaking at a news conference following a summit with the leaders of Canada and Mexico in Ottawa, Obama said there were “genuine longer term concerns” over global growth following the Brexit vote.
“But we don’t have the intention, neither Donald (Tusk) nor myself, to interfere in the British process, that is not our duty”, President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker said.
Some in Brussels are concerned that giving Britain favourable divorce terms will spark a domino effect of others leaving the European Union, with euroscepticism growing in many member states.
In an effort to tackle this, the leaders agreed on Wednesday they need to do more to battle what a final joint statement called “dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs”.
“This is the world’s fifth-biggest economy and 15 to 17 percent of the European Union’s gross domestic product, and if this country leaves the internal market. then of course that will be a hard situation”, Merkel said.
Mr Hammond denied he was taking a swipe at Boris Johnson, insisting he “wasn’t at all talking” about the former London Mayor.
“It was a good opportunity for me to set out Scotland’s position and Scotland’s desire to remain within the European Union and to protect our relationship with the European Union”, Sturgeon said after meeting Schulz.
Advertisement
BRITAIN will not get access to the single market unless it maintains freedom of movement according the remaining European Union leaders as they plot to stitch up Britain’s Brexit negotiations.
