A British minister leading the negotiations on Britain’s withdrawal from the EU is in the Netherlands on Monday for ‘secret talks’ with MPs, BNR radio said on Monday.

David Jones will meet MPs and foreign affairs minister Bert Koenders for the talks which will take place ‘behind closed doors’, VVD parliamentarian Anne Mulder told the broadcaster.

Mulder said British withdrawal will result in a ‘lose lose situation’. ‘The skill is to limit the damage as much as possible. We have to make sure we can continue to trade in the coming years.’

GroenLinks MP Bram van Ojik, who is also at the talks, told BNR he does not support the EU’s demand that the British pay a break-up fee before talks can continue about issues such as the free movement of people.

‘I would say we should look ahead and try to put the divorce talks in the perspective of what you want from a future relationship,’ he said. ‘That could make it easier.’