FURIOUS MPs have accused an EU chief of trying to sabotage Britain’s Brexit deal after an account of an extraordinary bust-up with Theresa May was leaked.
EU Commission president Jean Claude Juncker was blamed for spreading lurid details that made a dinner in No10 last Wednesday look disastrous.
During it, Mrs May was accused of being obstinate and naïve on her expectations for the exit deal, leaving EU bosses fearing the chances of any deal were “less than 50/50”.
At one stage, it was alleged that Mr Juncker even had to tell the PM that the EU “is not a golf club”.
The insult came after she claimed Britain doesn’t have to hand over a penny to compensate for future commitments under existing rules.
And when the PM told Mr Juncker they should share the aim of making Brexit work, he turned around her famous saying to instead insist: “Brexit cannot be a success”.
Quizzed on the account – published in German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung – Mrs May last night dismissed it as “Brussels gossip”.
No10 were also quick to distance themselves from the version of events, saying: “We do not recognise this account”.
Downing Street and Mrs May instead pointed to Mr Juncker’s public comment straight after the dinner, when he had dubbed it “a constructive meeting”.
Privately, Whitehall officials were seething last night at the clear breach of diplomatic protocol.
Senior Tory Brexiteers lashed out at Mr Juncker for spreading “a complete fabrication”.
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said: “This is Juncker trying to stay centre stage, when most of the nations want him off this stage.
“All this is trying to do is undermine Theresa May and make himself look more important. It’s an insult to Britain, as well as the European Union.
“Juncker’s behaviour is bizarre as well as irrational, and it doesn’t help anyone.
“It’s time for those of clear heads to move him to one side so serious talks can take place.”
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Mr Juncker’s is also alleged to have called German leader Angela Merkel at 7.30am on the morning after the dinner to relay his concerns about Mrs May’s positions.
That lead Mrs Merkel to attack No10 for having “illusions” hours later during a public speech.
Germany’s Socialist Europe minister Michael Roth kept up the attack on Mrs May yesterday ahead of Brexit talks’; formal start after the general election next month.
Mr Roth branded Mrs May’s approach “a fairy tale”, adding: “The British government must abandon myth that all British will be better off post Brexit”.
Leaping on the disputed account, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said it showed the PM has “no clue”, and Labour Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer added: “This is evidence that May’s rigid and complacent approach to Brexit negotiations risks leading Britain over a cliff edge”.
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