Jean-Claude Juncker has declared that little progress has been made on Britain’s renegotiation with Europe and said “to tango it takes two” on the eve of an EU leaders’ summit.
The president of the European Commission repeated his immense frustration at Britain’s failure to reveal its renegotiation demands as he was forced to deny declaring that Britain “does not need” the EU.
Nigel Farage, Daniel Hannan and leading Eurosceptic groups claimed Mr Juncker made the comment as part of mumbled remarks captured on a poor-quality recording during a meeting with the European parliament.
Mr Juncker’s office denied he said Britain did not need the EU. The Times listened to the recording repeatedly, and did not hear him say the UK “does not need” Europe.
This comes as the Vote Leave campaign, run by two prominent Conservative advisers, attacked two key aides to David Cameron who are conducting the renegotiation. They said that David Cameron’s chief of staff Ed Llewellyn and Daniel Korski, a special adviser, both worked for the EU, meaning they had a “duty of loyalty” to their former employer. The attack underlines how ready the campaign will be to go after Mr Cameron and his team personally.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, a third campaign to take Britain out of the EU has emerged. The Referendum Planning Group, which includes the Bruges Group and EUReferendum.com campaign will seek designation as a “lead campaign”, as will Vote Leave and Leave.EU.
Mr Cameron will face demands from EU leaders to show his hand.
Mr Juncker will say it is time for him to begin the diplomatic dance of serious negotiations. “To tango it takes two. I am not a splendid dancer but know the rules. We have to dance. Our British friends have to dance too,” he told MEPs yesterday.
Senior British and EU officials have been embroiled in highly secret and technical talks on measures that Mr Cameron can present to British voters as a “renegotiation” of Britain’s relationship of the EU ahead of an in-out referendum by the end of 2017.
Mr Juncker will tell him over lunch that it is time to open real talks that will require written demands.