The European Commission President believes Brexit will take place before he steps down as the EU’s top official on November 1. But he warned that this could mean Britain leaves the EU without the hated withdrawal deal, which was agreed between Theresa May and her European counterparts last November. Mr Juncker said the EU27 is ready to cope with the impact of a no-deal Brexit, despite insisting he is against a “clean break”.

In an interview with Austrian newspaper Der Standard, the Commission boss said: “My working hypothesis is that the Brexit issue, the handling of the Brexit process, will be resolved by the time I step down on November 1.

“I am against a clean break. We know precisely what that means, in every detail. People in the UK were not at all clear about what a no-deal means.”

He added: “We are well prepared. I think that common sense should result in the ruling parties resolving matters as swiftly as possible.”

The 64-year-old repeated claims that he would have been able to stop Brexit if former prime minister David Cameron has allowed him to campaign ahead of the 2016 referendum.

Mr Juncker claimed the European Commission would have been able to challenge against claims by Brexiteers ahead of the historic vote.

He said: “How did Brexit happen? I read from time and again that the Commission and the Union were to blame for this plight.

“The truth is, for over 40 years people in the UK have been told that they are in the EU, but only for economic reasons and that the rest, the Union based on values, is of no interest; so it should come as no surprise that people in the UK voted the way they did.

“However, I see it as a barely comprehensible error on my part to abide by UK wishes and abstain from that Brexit campaign.

“So many lies were told, and so many of the consequences resulting from a ‘no’ were misrepresented, that we, as the Commission, should have spoken out. In hindsight, failing to rebut the claim that the UK sent £300million per week to Brussels without drawing any benefit, was a mistake.”

Yesterday, senior Government ministers Steve Barclay and Liam Fox warned MPs they have the stark choice between a no-deal Brexit or cancelling the divorce altogether if they refuse to support Mrs May’s deal.

Dr Fox, the International Trade Secretary, said rejecting the Government’s draft EU withdrawal agreement would drastically increase the chances of the bloc’s Article 50 exit clause being cancelled.

He said: “There will be an opportunity for MPs to decide, after the local elections, after the European elections, whether they want to vote for Brexit or not.

“MPs will need to look and see if they want to continue down a path that inexorably takes us to either the potential of relocation of Article 50 or leaving without a deal, and ask if they think that’s the best course either democratically or economically.

“MPs will have to face that decision.”

Mr Barclay, the Brexit Secretary, said the divorce deal would be “dead” if the Prime Minister fails to have key legislation passed through Parliament.

He told the Lord’s EU Select Committee: “I think if the House of Commons does not approve the Withdrawal Agreement Bill then the Barnier deal is dead in that form and I think the House will have to then address a much more fundamental question between whether it will pursue a no-deal option or whether it will revoke.”

He added that the Bill would be published “as soon as possible” after Downing Street signalled its intentions to hold a crunch vote on the Brexit legislation in the week beginning June 3.

The Withdrawal Agreement Bill is designed to put all the legislation needed for the UK’s EU divorce, including the financial settlement and Irish backstop, into effect.

Source: Read Full Article