UK PM Accuses EU of Seeking to Affect Result of British Election

British Prime Minister Theresa May accused European politicians and officials last week of seeking to affect the outcome of the 8 June general election by issuing threats over Brexit.

Speaking in front of her Downing Street office after vising the Queen to mark the dissolution of parliament, which is the formal start of the election campaign, Mrs May disclosed that there were some in Brussels who did not want to see Brexit talks succeed. The statement comes after a German newspaper in late April gave a damning account of talks between the British Prime Minister and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, reporting that he had told Mrs May during a dinner at Downing Street that Brexit could not be a success.

In response to this, on 3 May, Mrs May disclosed that “in the last few days we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be. Britain’s negotiating position in Europe has been misrepresented in the continental press, the European Commission’s negotiating stance has hardened, threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials,” adding that “all of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election.” Mrs May, whose Conservative Party have a double-digit lead in the polls, went on to say that reaching the best Brexit deal would be the overriding task for whoever wins the 8 June election. She called on voters to give her their backing to “fight for Britain,” noting that while Britain wanted to reach a deal with the European Union (EU), that view as not shared by everyone in Brussels, stating “the events of the last few days have shown that, whatever our wishes, and however reasonable the positions of Europe’s other leaders – there are some in Brussels who do not want these talks to succeed. Who do not want Britain to prosper.”