The statement: By Barnier
"‘There are extremely serious consequences of leaving the single market and it hasn’t been explained to the British people,’ he told a conference in Italy. ‘We intend to teach people… what leaving the single market means.’
How do we know?
The event takes place behind closed doors. But parts of it were publicised by a BBC reporter who was attending.
And of course he couldn't possibly have embellished it in any way
in other words hearsay printed as an official position.
The Headline in the Daily Mail
Who does he think he is? Brussels' arrogant Brexit chief vows to 'educate' the British and 'teach them what it means to leave the EU'
- EU negotiator Michel Barnier has threatened to teach Britain a lesson for leaving
- Tory MPs branded him 'patronising and arrogant' and said the EU is panicking
- Davis denied PM would say in October she would pay £50bn over three years
- He accused EU negotiator of 'silly' tactics to secure a higher UK settlement
Vows, threatened,patronising and arrogant, panicking silly.
A lot of adjectives to describe an unsubstantiated report don't you think?
And in any case Events will educate the British on the costs of leaving the EU, so Barnier needn't bother.