Clegg comments on Brexit timetable
Originally published by South Lincolnshire Liberal Democrats
Reports today suggest that Brexit negotiations will start on 19 June, 11 days after a historical General Election.
It is understood that the EU's Chief Negotiator hopes to start by dealing with citizens' rights, the UK's divorce bill and on the border of Ireland.
Commenting on these reports, Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Brexit said:
"This report reveals two striking things: first, in addition to wasting valuable negotiating time on a General Election which amounts to a coronation, Theresa May has petulantly blocked any further talks by stopping the EU from allocating resources to the migration crisis; second, the reported timetable leaves only four months for the EU and the UK to negotiate the 'scope' of our future trading relationship.
"This is a dangerously unrealistic timetable which will condemn the UK economy to prolonged and damaging uncertainty, harming hard pressed families across the country."
The Guardian reported on these developments: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/may/19/brexit-uk-eu-talks-start-19-june
Nick Clegg has written a series of Brexit Challenge papers that can be found here