Prime Minister Theresa May hit back Friday at the European Union after it roundly rejected her Brexit plan, saying its refusal to compromise was “not acceptable” and warning she was still prepared to walk away from the talks.
In a defiant statement from Downing Street, May blamed Brussels for the “impasse” just weeks ahead of a deadline to seal a deal — and six months before Britain leaves the EU in March.
“Throughout this process, I have treated the EU with nothing but respect. The UK expects the same,” the prime minister said.
May was speaking after returning from an EU summit in Salzburg Thursday, where her fellow leaders lined up to condemn her proposals for post-Brexit trading ties and the Irish border.
It was a setback characterised by the British media as a “humiliation”, just days before a meeting of May’s Conservative party, where eurosceptics are ramping up the pressure on their leader to be tough.
Standing at a podium with two British flags behind her, May said: “At this late stage in the negotiations, it is not acceptable to simply reject the other side’s proposals without a detailed explanation and counter proposals.
“So we now need to hear from the EU what the real issues are and what their alternative is so that we can discuss them. Until we do, we cannot make progress.”
She said she wanted an agreement, but “I have always said no deal is better than a bad deal”.
The pound slipped against the euro after she spoke, reflecting fears that Britain could crash out of the EU with no agreement.
