'The EU is worried' Labour Brexiteer says bloc will try to make UK's exit 'uncomfortable'

Kelvin Hopkins, Luton North MP has insisted the
European Union will not give the UK a good deal in
fear the bloc could crumble.
The Labour Party MP, who campaigned to leave the
EU, reiterated the bloc will attempt to make
negotiations “uncomfortable” for Britain.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, he said: “I think
the leaders of the EU are worried that a comfortable
exit for Britain might encourage others to think ‘well
that’s a good idea, we might do that ourselves’.
“They don’t want to see a gradual break-up of the EU
into individual countries again, so I think they are very
worried.
Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins said the EU were trying to
make Brexit uncomfortable for the UK
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Juncker with huge
boost to Brexit trade
talks
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“They want to make it as uncomfortable for us
because it might give other ideas.”
The co-chair of Labour Leave also insisted the EU
should be fearful about the UK leaving the bloc without
a trade agreement.
Mr Hopkins claimed the UK have “the advantage” when
negotiating a future trade relationship with the EU.
He added: “I think with what Jeremy Corbyn was
saying, we clearly are not going to be in the single
market, I think he said he wants to retain access to
the EU markets.

“But
then
we are
the
biggest
market
for EU
goods,
a
single country, so we are much more valuable to them,
in a sense, than they are to us.
“We have a gigantic trade deficit. We import £70billion
more than they import from us.
“So we have got every advantage, the strength is with
us. Not with them. I think in the end we will come to
some reasonable arrangement because we are a
valuable market for them.”
The comments come as Jean-Claude Juncker, the
President of the European Commission told reporters
at the EU summit in Tallinn that the UK would need a
“miracle” if “sufficient progress” was made in
negotiations before the end of October.
Brexit: EU summit in pictures
Fri, September 29, 2017
The European Union will be looking beyond the
impending breakup with Britain at how to build a
common future during their two-day summit
meeting
PLAY
German Chancellor Angela Merkel gestures prior to
the 'Tour de table' of the Tallinn Digital Summit
during a European Union summit in Tallinn, Estonia
[AFP/Getty Images]
AFP/GETTY IMAGES 1 of 28
The European Union set out the issues of citizens
rights, the Irish border and the divorce settlement
would have to be agreed before future trade talks
could start.
Speaking to reporters at the summit, the
Prime Minister claimed the UK had made “good
progress” since her landmark speech in Florence last
week.
She said: “A week ago I gave a speech in Florence
which set out how we have made good progress so
far, I thought we could make further progress
and moving on to looking at the future deep and
special relationship and partnership that we want to
build with the European Union when the UK has left
the EU.”
The fourth round of Brexit negotiations concluded on
Thursday with the Brexit Secretary insisting the teams
had completed “very constructive” talks on the
financial settlement, adding there was scope to
“explore” a transitional deal.

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