'Huge' costs for Brexit negotiations

(Baonghean.vn) - The Brexit negotiation process could cost around £65 million a year and require a staff of more than 500 people, not to mention the time wasted on political debates - a report published by the Independent on September 28 said.

Brexit negotiations will cost the British government a huge amount of money. Photo: Express

The report, prepared by a group of consultants from the UK Government's think tank, outlines key issues as Britain negotiates its exit from the EU.

In addition to the estimated cost of up to £65m/year and a staff of around 520 people, the report also criticised British Prime Minister Theresa May's silence about who was in charge of the negotiation process.

The decision to divide the negotiating responsibilities between three relevant agencies – the Foreign Office, the Department for Brexit and the Department for the Foreign Economy – is believed to create fragmentation and disunity.

In addition, the division of power between three ministers - also three strong Brexit supporters - Boris Johnson, David Davis and Liam Fox could also cause internal disputes and infighting.

“The involvement of all three ministries in this work could create disjointedness, lack of synchronization, and lack of clarity about the roles and responsibilities of each department. This could delay the Brexit process. The Prime Minister needs to quickly end the disputes between the three ministers and clearly define who will perform which tasks,” the report stated.

The report also urged Mrs May to “clarify the process and timeline for determining who will represent the UK in the negotiations”.

“Silence is not a suitable strategy,” said Dr Hannah White, co-author of the report. “We are now hearing from three ministers who have different views. This will anger those who want a quick exit from the EU, and make it difficult for partners who are waiting to establish a new relationship with the UK after Brexit.”

Mrs May has refused to say when she will trigger Article 50 to begin the process of taking Britain out of the EU, while Mr Johnson has said the expected date could be early next year.

Diep Khanh

(According to Independent)