Michel Barnier EU negotiator refutes Boris Johnson election claim as expats in Spain await election results

During this current general election campaign, the prime minister Boris Johnson has said he thought he could “absolutely guarantee” an agreement on the UK’s future relationship with the EU could be delivered in 11 months, if Brexit happens on 31 January next year.

But Michel Barnier claimed in a meeting with MEPs that “we won’t do it all” by that deadline.

“It is unrealistic that a global negotiation can be done in 11 months, so we can’t do it all,” the EU chief Brexit negotiator is heard saying in an audio recording obtained by the Independent website.

“We will do all we can to get what I call the ‘vital minimum’ to establish a relationship with the UK if that is the time scale.”

Michel Barnier’s comments come just one day before Britons head to the polls in the 2019 General Election.