May refuses to say if she would vote Leave now

London: The prime minister, who backed Remain during last year’s Brexit vote, said she would “look at everything” and “come to a judgement”. Meanwhile, Donald Tusk, the European Council president, has signalled for the first time that EU negotiators are taking a “no deal” outcome seriously, with Brexit talks being put on hold today (Wednesday). Tusk said that if the talks continued at a “slow pace” without sufficient progress being made, “we will have to think about where we are heading”. Mrs May initially declined to answer the question on a radio programme about how she would vote, dismissing it as “hypothetical”. But after being pressed repeatedly she said: “I could sit here and I could say I’d still vote Remain or I’d vote Leave, just to give you an answer. I’m being open and honest with you. What I did last time round was I looked at everything and came to a judgement and I’d do exactly the same this time round.” She added: “But we’re not having another referendum. That’s absolutely crucial. We are going to deliver on the vote of the British people, we are going to deliver Brexit. March 29 2019, we come out of the European Union.” The comments risk antagonising Euro-sceptic Conservative MPs, who are already concerned about the UK being bound by European Court of Justice rulings during a transition period. It will also put pressure on other Cabinet ministers who voted Remain. Damian Green, the First Secretary of State, said last night: “My views on Europe are well known and I don’t resile from anything.” Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, snapped that “Brexit is not a game” in an ill-tempered riposte to Theresa May’s comment that “the ball is in their court”. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn will attempt to exploit the stand-off by visiting Brussels next week, where he hopes to conduct his own talks with EU officials. Mrs May will arrive in Brussels next Thursday for a meeting of the European Council, at which she is likely to be told that insufficient progress has been made for trade talks to begin. Negotiators had been expected to talk about the so-called Brexit “divorce bill” during this week’s round of talks, but it has emerged that after discussions on citizens’ rights and the Irish border on Monday and Tuesday no talks on money will be held today. Asked whether the ball was in his court as he left a lunch meeting in Brussels with David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, Mr Barnier said: “Brexit is not a game. Don’t forget.”