@fluxo, can you see when that article was written, as it's behind a pay wall.
Nov. 29, 2017
That was as of Sept 2017. In addition, it’s a net figure. The €100 billion figure was a gross figure. The original source for that gross figure was an FT article and not the EU. It was an estimate.
Included above. Hint: if you google up the article, it seems to be possible to read it without subscribing. I have no idea why.
E.g., try googling with these keywords:
UK bows to EU demands with breakthrough offer on Brexit bill ft
This might or might not work:
UK bows to EU demands with breakthrough offer on Brexit bill ft - Google Search
Thanks !!
Edit: yes, that worked data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7
PM dismisses Boris Johnson's speech as 'a good show' as she digs in over Chequers plan
Boris.....Chuck Chequers!
Theresa May on why Boris Johnson speech made her cross - Johnson speech made me 'cross', says May
So what exactly does the EU want ? I assume they don't like the plan because it gives too much away to what will be a non-EU member ?
Should we just agree to whatever they say ? Probably not.
I would presume that there are alternatives being talked about and drawn up - even if they are JUST modified versions of Chequers.
It would be interesting to see what Mr Johnson could come up with, at the moment I think he's very good at sound bytes and getting the laughs, but I'd be more impressed if he actually came up with something that could actually be discussed properly.
I think it is more a question of what does the UK actually want?
- Do we want to remain part of the Customs Union and Single Market?
- Do we want a wide ranging free trade agreement with the EU?
- Do we want to exit with 'no deal' and be completely 'free' of EU influence?
If the UK could actually choose a path then we could probably thrash out a deal with the EU swiftly. But the UK won't choose a path because those in Government know that Brexiteers will rant if we take the first option whilst aspects of the UK economy will be devastated, at least in the short term, if we take the latter two paths. Furthermore, it is unlikely the Government can pass any of the above through the current Parliament.
As would we all, I don't see it happening though.
I was thinking about what the EU want as we've heard plenty from the UK - from "we want a second vote to stay in" to "We must leave with no deal", but I haven't actually heard much about what the EU would actually agree to.
I think May has tried to set a path and the EU have rejected it out of hand.
As you point out, I don't think there is an easy answer to exactly how this gets settled.
I wrote somewhere in a comment 2 years ago that this will end up in a mess - concessions will have to be made that will enrage the brexiteers, at the same time the remainers won't be happy because we'll lose some things that are important to them. Businesses will end up with increased costs and overall no-one will be happy, it'll be a typical great British cock up.
So far, it looks to be on course for that. In some ways it was somewhat reckless to even have a vote without a better framework of how a country leaves the EU, but then, the great unwashed weren't meant to vote for leave were they...