Financial Times: May urged to secure EU trade deal with ‘Norway-style’ payments

24 January 2018

Cabinet ministers who backed Remain are urging Theresa May to explore whether the UK can secure a Brexit trade deal with the EU by making “Norway-style” payments to the bloc to help fill a looming €15bn hole in its budget.

Whitehall officials said Britain could channel money to Brussels by paying “over the odds” to take part in EU programmes such as science and research.

“Money is what [the EU] really care about,” said one person familiar with the cabinet’s discussions. “Germany doesn’t want to fill that [EU budget] hole.”

One minister noted the EU had recently highlighted the hole that would be blown in its budget after Britain leaves the bloc, adding Mrs May said last year the UK could make “appropriate” contributions to European programmes after it departs. [...]

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