Dutch prime minister to have Brexit breakfast meeting with Theresa May

Mark Rutte welcomes Theresa May to his official residence for talks in July. Photo: Abdullah Asiran / Anadolu Agency via HH
Mark Rutte welcomes Theresa May to his official residence for talks in July. Photo: Abdullah Asiran / Anadolu Agency via HH

British prime minister Theresa May is to hold a breakfast meeting with Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte on Tuesday morning following her decision to postpone the crucial vote on plans for Britain to leave the European union.

May said on Monday afternoon that she is postponing Tuesday’s scheduled vote on the Brexit deal and will return to Brussels to push for concessions because there is not enough support for the agreement as it now is.

‘Over the next few days she [May] will go to see her counterparts in other member states to discuss the concerns that parliament has expressed,’ her office said in a statement.

That round of talks with European leaders will start at Rutte’s official residence, the Catshuis, Dutch media said.

‘The Netherlands is one of the countries which will be hardest hit by Brexit and Rutte is one of the most important and experienced European leaders,’ RTL correspondent Fons Lambie said. ‘May also rang Rutte last weekend.’

Earlier on Monday evening, European council president Donald Tusk said on Twitter that the EU will not renegotiate the deal. ‘But we are ready to discuss how to facilitate UK ratification,’ Tusk said. ‘As time is running out, we will also discuss our preparedness for a no-deal scenario.’

Rutte has said repeatedly that the 27 EU member states are united in their approach to Brexit.

Integrity

‘We all want to have a strong relationship with the United Kingdom, 65 million people and a huge market,’ he said. ‘But at the same time, we want to maintain the integrity of a single market which serves 420 million customers who are staying behind,’ he said in September.

And last month, Rutte said after the deal was signed by EU ministers that it is the ‘best we can get’.

‘If there are people in Britain who think they can get a better deal, then they are wrong,’ Rutte said. ‘This is the best you can get, both for Britain and the European Union. If there was anything better, I can tell you Theresa May would have gotten that.’

Cost

Earlier on Monday the national audit office said that a no-deal Brexit would cost the Dutch government €2.3bn over two years in extra EU contributions and customs services.

Trade with the UK is estimated to be worth €22.7 billion a year to the Netherlands, equivalent to 3.1% of GDP. This makes the Netherlands one of Britain’s biggest European trading partners.

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