Full Brexit talks begin amid squabbling in London

Britain's Brexit ministervowed to "get down to work" as he kicked off a first full roundof negotiations on Monday, a year after Britons votednarrowly to quit the EU their government still seemed at oddsover what it wants.

"It's time to get down to work and make this a successfulnegotiation," veteran anti-EU campaigner David Davis said as hewas welcomed to the European Commission by the European Union'schief negotiator Michel Barnier for four days of talks.

But back in London, British media were rife with talk ofinfighting that echoed the divisions Prime Minister TheresaMay's Conservative party suffered during the EU referendum.Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, attending a different meetingin Brussels, passed up an opportunity to deny that was the case.

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His backing was seen as vital for the 52-48 per cent victoryof the Leave camp in June last year. Asked point blank on Mondayif the cabinet was "split on Brexit,"Johnson simply said he waspleased negotiations had begun and then defended the offer Mayhas made to protect the rights of EU citizens in Britain.

Struggling for authority after losing her majority lastmonth in an election she did not need to call, May facesquestions inside her party on whether she can exercise control.That is worrying EU negotiators, who stress that 20 months untilBrexit is very little time to negotiate an orderly divorce.

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Finance minister Philip Hammond, who like May campaignedlast year to keep Britain in the EU, said on Sunday he believedmost of his cabinet colleagues now backed the idea of having twoyears or more of a transition period after Brexit in March 2019 to soften the disruptive effect on society and the economy.

That had not been the case a month ago, Hammond said. Thatwas a reminder of a gulf in perceptions across the Channel whereEU leaders have assumed from the outset that Britain would needmore than the two years allowed by treaty to negotiate the dealit wants to retain close, open trading links with the continent.

Hammond accused unnamed colleagues of briefing against himto try to undermine what is seen as his push for a "soft Brexit"that would prioritise trade rather than hardliners' demands forcontrols on EU immigration or an end to EU legal oversight.

Legal limbo

Trade minister Liam Fox, who favours a cleaner break withthe EU, said on Sunday he could live with a transition duringwhich it is likely Britain would keep paying a share of the EUbudget and follow EU rules as long as it was kept short. Thatis also the view in much of the EU, where leaders do not want tosee Britain given an indefinite half-in, half-out status.

Divisions over such basic issues of the Brexit negotiationscould raise the risk again of a failure to reach a deal. Thatwould see huge uncertainty for businesses and millions of peopleacross Europe as Britain would simply be out of the bloc onMarch 30, 2019 with no clear rules on what that should mean.

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London and Brussels have taken initial negotiating positionssaying they are ready for such an outcome. But most officials inBrussels believe Britain, for one, must be bluffing, since thelegal limbo into which it would be pitched would be so damaging.

However, Gus O'Donnell, Britain's former top civil servant,said the chances of a smooth Brexit were at risk. "It appearsthat cabinet members haven't yet finished negotiating with eachother, never mind the EU," he said.

Competing factions

British businesses are anxious to see a coherent approach inMay's government to indicate early on how a transition wouldwork and how long it would run to help them make investmentdecisions.

A weekend of media briefings from competing factions withinthe Conservatives did little to reassure companies, though mostcabinet ministers appear now to accept that there needs to bewhat May calls an "implementation phase."

In Brussels, Davis acknowledged it was "incrediblyimportant" to make progress, "that we negotiate through this andidentify the differences so that we can deal with them andidentify the similarities so that we can reinforce them."

Barnier told reporters: "We will now delve into the heart ofthe matter. We need to examine and compare our respectivepositions in order to make good progress."

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Both men declined further comment. Barnier said they wouldbrief the media on Thursday after the first round wraps up.

Working groups will focus on three issues: citizens' rights;the EU demand that Britain pay some 60 billion euros ($87 billion Cdn)to cover ongoing EU budget commitments; and other looseends. Barnier has dismissed the British rights offer as fallingshort of the EU demand that its threemillion citizens there keepall their existing rights for life and have recourse to the EUcourts to enforce those rights even after Britain has left.

A fourth set of talks, run by Davis and Barnier's deputiesOliver Robbins and Sabine Weyand, will focus on curbing problemsin Northern Ireland once a new EU land border separates theBritish province from EU member Ireland to the south. Some ofthat will have to wait for clarity on future trade relations.