French minister leaves the door open for UK as she insists it is NOT too late to reverse Brexit

A French minister has insisted that Britain can halt the process of leaving the EU and reverse Brexit altogether.

France’s European affairs minister Nathalie Loiseau said the ‘door would remain open’ for the UK, despite Article 50 already being triggered last year.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Ms Loiseau said: ‘We have always said, always, that the door would remain open and that we were not the ones who wanted to diverge from the United Kingdom.

‘It was the British people who decided to leave the European Union.’

Asked whether the UK could stay in on the same terms if had now, she replied: ‘Sure, of course.

‘Like every single member state of the European Union, we have one conviction, which is that the best possible status is being a member, the most profitable status.’

Despite he insistence that Brexit could be reversed, any attempt at cancelling Article 50 would be the subject of a major legal dispute.

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Ms Loiseau spoke as it was revealed new Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and Michel Barnier will hold face-to-face talks in Brussels at the end of the latest round of Brexit negotiations.

Mr Raab has promised to bring ‘as much energy as I can’ to the talks with the European Union’s chief negotiator.

But the meeting comes as both sides of the negotiations step up plans to cope with a collapse in talks which would result in the UK leaving without a deal in March 2019.

Theresa May said the British public should take ‘reassurance and comfort’ from Government preparations for a no-deal Brexit after it emerged plans were being developed to stockpile food and medicines.

In an interview with 5 News on Wednesday, the Prime Minister did not deny stockpiling is happening, but said the Government is being ‘responsible and sensible’ while still trying to get a good deal with the European Union.

The European Commission has told member states and firms operating in the EU to step up their own preparations for a ‘cliff edge’ Brexit.

Ms Loiseau warned that Britain would suffer more than the EU if no deal was reached.

She added: ‘We would all suffer. The worst would be for the United Kingdom but we get prepared for a no-deal because until now we have seen no significant progress regarding the withdrawal agreement which would relieve us from this concern that there could be a no-deal (exit).’

The Prime Minister will engage in her own round of Brexit diplomacy on Friday, travelling to Austria for talks with counterpart Sebastian Kurz and other EU leaders at the Salzburg Festival.