UK should be 'as difficult as possible' with Brussels if Brexit is delayed, says Rees-Mogg

Jacob Rees-Mogg has called on the UK to be ‘as difficult as possible’ with the European Union if Brexit is delayed for a long time.

“If a long extension leaves us stuck in the EU we should be as difficult as possible,” he tweeted after it was announced that Theresa May would apply for an extension for the UK to leave the EU.

Under her latest proposal, the Prime Minister has requested in a letter to European Council president Donald Tusk an extension until June 30.

The UK was originally set to leave the EU on March 29.

He added: “We could veto any increase in the budget, obstruct the putative EU army and block Mr Macron’s integrationist schemes.”

In recent weeks the French leader has called for European countries to have a common border police and to increase defence spending.

The message from the chair of the backbench European Research Group has so far been retweeted almost 2,500 times and liked 8,000 times.

His tweet wasn’t long in bringing a response.

‘This gentlemen is not our interlocutor, and the principle of sincere cooperation applies, as May said in her letter today. And it’s a hypothetical,’ said the European Commission’s Spokesperson Margaritis Schinas.

Closer to home, critics raged at Rees-Mogg, claiming his tweet had shown that his call for action showed that Britain does have power within the EU.

Others said such an approach would show how ‘nasty’ country has become during the Brexit crisis.

Mr Tusk is thought to be pushing for a one-year ‘flexible’ extension to Article 50.

He was due to discuss a ‘flextension’ with European leaders at a summit next week.

The plan would have to be agreed unanimously by all 27 countries.

Europe has previously turned down a request for an extension to June 30 by Theresa May.

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