LONDON/BRUSSELS — Prime Minister Theresa May last night accused Brussels of deliberately making “threats against Britain” over the Brexit talks in order to affect the outcome of next month’s general election.

In a tough statement outside Downing Street, just hours after the European Union’s (EU) negotiator set out his plans for the talks, Mrs May said some people in the EU did not want the negotiations to succeed.

“In the last few days, we have seen just how tough these talks are likely to be,” the Conservative Party leader said, charging that Britain’s negotiating position had been “misrepresented” in the European press.

“The European Commission’s negotiating stance has hardened. Threats against Britain have been issued by European politicians and officials,” she said after visiting the head of state Queen Elizabeth II to mark the dissolution of Parliament ahead of the election.

“All of these acts have been deliberately timed to affect the result of the general election that will take place on June 8.”

Mrs May added: “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.”

The prime minister called the snap election last month, saying she wanted a stronger mandate from the public ahead of the Brexit talks, which are due to start next month.

Earlier in the day, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier insisted the bloc was not punishing Britain as London firmly rejected a reported €100 billion (S$152 billion) exit bill.

“There is no punishment, there is no Brexit bill. The financial settlement is only about settling the accounts,” Mr Barnier told a news conference as he unveiled his proposed negotiating mandate for two years of talks.

Mrs May was put on the defensive this week after leaks about a disastrous dinner in London with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker and Mr Barnier. She wants trade talks and divorce negotiations to start in parallel — one of the demands that led Mr Juncker to say that some in Britain “underestimate the technical difficulties we have to face”.

The leaders of the other 27 EU nations over the weekend unanimously agreed on a tough set of guidelines for the talks with Britain, covering issues such as money, the rights of EU citizens, and the Northern Ireland border.

They insist that Britain must settle those divorce issues before talks on a future EU-UK trade deal can begin.

Mr Barnier warned that the “clock is ticking” for a settlement and urged London to get serious to boost the chances of reaching a deal.

“Some have created the illusion that Brexit would have no material impact on our lives, or that negotiations can be concluded quickly and painlessly. This is not the case,” he said.

He said the calculations of what the EU says Britain owes would be based on “rigorous methodology”.

He called on Britain to guarantee “for life” the rights of three million EU citizens living in Britain, who are currently allowed to live, work and study there freely under EU rules.

On May 22, the EU leaders are expected to give the chief negotiator a formal mandate to conduct talks over the next two years with Britain. AFP