EU eyes cash demands as Brexit talks turn sour

Prime Minister Theresa May agreed a withdrawal treaty last year under which Britain would pay the European Union close to 50 billion euros (43.4 billion pounds) over the coming years to meet commitments made while a member. But the British parliament has rejected the deal and the treaty will be void if nothing changes by March 29. In the event of a no-deal exit, likely to cause economic disruption, the EU would insist on Britain committing to settle those bills - a significant part of the EU budget - before any resumption of talks on how to manage future trading relations. “Imagine all the bad blood and acrimony should we end up with a no-deal after two years of negotiations,” an envoy who follows Brexit for one EU member state told Reuters.