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The former Belgian PM said so far the EU has only received one position paper from the UK for the negotiations - on citizens' rights - and said he hoped others would be served "in
days, certainly not years". Mr Verhofstadt's frustrations were echoed by his colleague Mr Barnier, who said he was prepared to work "night and day" and even through the
French bank holiday of Bastille Day if it meant getting a good resolution to Brexit. However, the chief negotiator said he could only do so if he got "clarity" from the British
side over what they want from the talks, including an acknowledgement that a financial settlement will have to be honoured. Eurocrats are insisting that citizens’ rights, the financial
settlement and the border situation in Northern Ireland are all satisfactorily sewn up before the negotiations move on to future relations. And Mr Barnier said today: “These three priority
subjects are indivisible. What that means is that progress on one or two of those subjects would not be sufficient in order for us to be able to move on to discussions of our future
relationship with the UK.” Visibly angry about Britain's stance on financial obligations, he added: ""This is a question which is of major importance in creating the basis
that we need in starting the discussion on the future relationship, which is a very important subject. "I don’t accept people have used words like ransom - Mr Farage in the EU
parliament. It’s not a ransom, it’s not an exit bill, it’s not revenge at no time has it ever been those things. "I could not imagine that a very great country like the UK, for which I
for a very, very long time have had admiration and respect, I can’t imagine that that very great country that the UK is would not also be a responsible country and respect its
commitments."