Britain must pay to leave the EU in the same way as friends going to the pub must pay for their round of drinks, the European Commission says

BRITAIN will have to stand a round before leaving the EU pub, hardball Eurocrats insisted today.

Patronising Brussels chiefs raged: “you cannot leave while the party continues, you still have to pay for the round you ordered.”

Last week Trade Secretary Liam Fox claimed it was “absurd” to suggest Brussels could whack Theresa May with a €60 billion Brexit bill.

But the European Commission hit back last night claiming: “As all commitments are taken jointly by the member states, if they are not paid, the other 27 member states will have to foot the bill.

Spokesman Margaritis Schinas added: “It is like going to the pub with 27 friends.”

“You order a round of beer but then you cannot leave while the party continues.

“You still need to pay for the round you ordered in a way.”

But the EU refused to put a figure on how much they expect Britain to pay.

Instead they state that “during the time of its membership, the UK has taken - and probably will take - financial commitments.

However Tory MPs believe there should be a separate negotiation for our share of EU assets when we leave.

Brexit backer Desmond Swayne told the Commons on Monday: “We might have some claim after 40 years of being a major contributor.”

The Tory MP later told The Sun: “As with any divorce they will want to discuss who gets the house and the money first.”

But he argued that “there are liabilities the EU will have acquired during our membership” which the UK “disproportionately paid for as the second largest budget contribution – and that needs to be part of any settlement.”

He went on: “When we come to the trade deal, there have been suggestions that we should pay for access to EU markets.

“Given our £58 billion deficit with the EU last year, any charge would be more appropriate the other way round – on their goods for access to the UK.”

Mr Schinas confirmed today that discussions on an exit bill were underway, but that the reported figures were not official.

He told reporters in Brussels: "Technical work is ongoing and is based on objective and verifiable data. We are not discussing figures in this context.

"Whatever figures are flying around are not our figures."

Sir Ivan Rogers said last week that our EU exit talks could decend into a fist fight.

In a doom-laden warning, He said a new free trade deal may not be reached until the mid-2020s.