EU officials say UK Brexit stance chaotic in leaked document
By Associated Press
Nov 23, 2017 7:14 AM CST
An anti Brexit, pro European Union campaigner waves flags near Parliament in London, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2017. Britain's Treasury chief has little room to maneuver Wednesday as he reveals his spending plans to a nation bracing for the shock of Brexit. While Philip Hammond is promising to tackle a bleak...   (Associated Press)

LONDON (AP) — European officials see Britain's performance in Brexit negotiations as confused and chaotic, a leaked Irish government document says.

Irish broadcaster RTE published details Thursday of a confidential document from Ireland's Department of Foreign Affairs compiling reports from Irish diplomats across the European Union.

One quoted Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Jakub Durr as saying "he felt sorry for British ambassadors around the EU trying to communicate a coherent message when there is political confusion at home."

Latvian government officials are cited as saying "the biggest problem is the chaotic political situation in the U.K. government."

Ian Forrester, a British judge at the European Court of Justice, reportedly bemoaned "the quality of politicians in Westminster" during a meeting in Luxembourg, and wondered whether the British public would come to view Brexit as "a great mistake."

Britain is due to leave the EU in March 2019 but divorce talks have stalled on issues including the size of the U.K.'s Brexit bill and the future status of the border between the U.K. and EU member Ireland.

EU officials have expressed frustration with a lack of concrete proposals from Britain to break the logjam. Irish politicians, in particular, say the U.K. urgently needs to spell out how it can keep the Ireland-Northern Ireland border free of customs posts and other barriers after Brexit.

Ireland's foreign affairs ministry declined to comment on the report. British Prime Minister Theresa May's office said it would not comment on leaked documents but insisted "the government is working hard on preparations for Brexit."