‘No third country can enjoy the same benefits as an EU member’

"Brexit is a historic mistake. It was pushed through by irresponsible nationalism, based on false promises and shortsightedness," declared Austrian MEP Andreas Schieder who helped prepare the vote. / "Brexit is bad for Britain and Brexit is bad for Europe," he said.

EU officials have derided the British Government’s ‘chaotic’ approach to negotiations and said the much-reviled ‘Swiss mess’ is ‘not on the table’.