The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator said Brexiteers were intent on “weakening” the Union. Michael Barnier said he asked Mr Farage what his post-Brexit position was when they met for talks, adding: “His reply was extremely clear, you should be familiar with this: ‘Mr Barnier, after Brexit, we no longer exist.’ “So these people want to destroy the EU from inside and others from outside.
“That’s why I think we must take good care of the EU, even if it needs reforming. We need to refresh a number of European policies and revisit them.
“There are lessons we need to draw but at heart it is important that we stick together and perserve the EU and defend out interests.”
He urged EU leaders to “no longer allow us to be divided” and added the bloc must “strengthen our shared analysis of threats”.
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The bloc’s chief negotiator said the EU will not renegotiate the already-agreed divorce deal with Britain if Brexit is delayed again, saying that London would not get a transition period unless it accepts the deal.
Speaking in Brussels, he said: “During that extension there will be no renegotiation of the agreement.
“There will be no negotiations on future relations. We cannot negotiate with a member state on future relations – there is no legal right to do that.
“If there is no deal, there is no transition.”
Mr Barnier said the only way for Britain to leave the EU in an orderly way was to accept the deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May.
He added: “It is the only deal possible to organise the withdrawal in an orderly manner.”
On Britain’s participation in the European elections, Mr Barnier said: “If the UK is still a member state on May 23 it will have to organise the European elections.
“It will have to nominate a member of the next European Commission.
“The UK would stay longer as a member on its way out.”
