Theresa May says we're in 'touching distance' of Brexit deal on EU citizens but there's still no word on the bill for divorce

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Theresa May has said she is "ambitious and positive"
about Britain's Brexit negotiations having come within
"touching distance" on a decision on EU citizen's
rights.
The prime minister celebrated the agreement on
Northern Ireland but admitted there was still "some
way to go" in the talks.
Mrs May also refused to spell out the amount the UK
will have to pay when we leave the bloc.
In a short press conference on the second day of the
EU summit in Brussels Mrs May said that they should
recognise "what has been achieved to date".
"Both sides have approached these talks with
professionalism and a constructive spirit and we
should recognise what has been achieved to date,"
she said.
Last night Mrs May appealed to the EU27 leaders
over dinner hoping to change the dynamic of the
talks.
Today her more positive outlook suggested she had
been successful.
In her speech the prime minister highlighted how
close the sides were to a deal on EU citizens' rights
stressing how important the issue was to her
personally.
The prime minister said: "EU citizens have made a
huge contribution to our country and let me be clear
that whatever happens we want them and their
families to stay.
"While there are a small number of issues that
remaining outstanding on citizens' rights I'm confident
that we are in touching distance of a deal."
On Northern Ireland Mrs May was unequivocal that
Brexit should not affect the peace process "in
anyway" and said that all sides agreed there should
be no physical border and that the common travel
area must continue.
But on the third, and arguably the most contentious
issue, of the divorce Bill Mrs May was less clear.
In her speech she said simply that she had made a
"firm commitment on the financial settlement" in her
speech and refused to give a figure when asked three
times by journalists to specify an amount.
Instead she said none of the EU27 should be
concerned for the current budget plan that they would
have to either pay in more or receive less as a result
of the UK leaving.
She also said that "detailed work" was going on
looking into each of these commitments "line by line"/
She said "We'll continue to go through them line by
line and the British tax payer wouldn't expect its
government to do anything else."
The UK's Brexit "divorce bill" appears to be the main
sticking point with several leaders saying they need
more "clarity" about how much the UK is willing to
pay.
Earlier this week the 20 billion euro figure was
dismissed by the prime minister of the European
Union as "peanuts" instead Antonio Tajani suggested
the true amount was much near 50 to 60 billion
euros.
The Prime Minister was speaking after leaders of the
remaining 27 EU member states gave the green light
for preparations to begin for the second phase of
Brexit talks, dealing with trade.
The move paves the way for the possible start of
formal talks on the future EU/UK trade relationship in
December.
The European Council in Brussels decided that
insufficient progress had so far been made in divorce
talks to move on to trade discussions now, as Britain
had hoped.
But Council president Donald Tusk said in a tweet:
"Brexit conclusions adopted. Leaders green-light
internal EU27 preparations for 2nd phase."

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