Last year's vote to leave the EU has revealed the "inner arrogance" of the Brussels elite, according to Jeremy Hunt.
The Health Secretary lambasted the European Commission's sense of self-importance whilst speaking live to LBC from this week's Conservative Party Conference. He attacked the institution for delaying Brexit by rejecting the UK Government's "generous" divorce offers.
He said the way the European Commission has been behaving since the vote is "very disappointing." Mr. Hunt accused the trading bloc of constantly "demanding more and more from Britain"
Does the EU want a friendship with Britain going forward?
The Health Secretary, who campaigned for the UK to remain in the trading bloc last year, posed the question as to whether or not the EU wants a friendship with Britain going forward.
He said this is no longer a debate about whether Brussels will allow a hard or a soft Brexit, but whether they want a messy divorce or not.
Meanwhile, Conservative backbencher Peter Bone launched a scathing attack on EU officials, saying they would rather inflict damage on their own people than help make Brexit Britain a success. He told Express.co.uk at the Conservative Party Conference that Brussels will use this process to warn other member states about the consequences of leaving.
The veteran backbencher said Brussels is transfixed on turning the EU into a European superstate and if other countries witness how successful Brexit Britain will be, other nations will be persuaded to leave too.
The MP for Wellingborough warned that the price of their own stubbornness will be pain.
Fury has erupted among Conservative ranks in the European Parliament
Fury has erupted among Conservative ranks in Brussels as two Tory Members of the European Parliament, Richard Ashworth and Julie Girling, broke ranks with their colleagues and voted with self-appointed Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt to delay moving the discussions forward to trade.
Senior sources at the Conservative Party Conference disclosed to The Daily Express that they were angry both MEPs had done that when the Prime Minister just demanded party loyalty.
EU officials have insisted that progress be made on three crucial areas- the divorce bill, Ireland and EU citizens' rights- before discussions on trade commence.
The British Government believes it is time to move on, but the European Commission's President, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the EU's Chief Negotiator, Michel Barnier, disagree until these three issues are resolved.
Sufficient progress has been made
Brexit Secretary David Davis told delegates at the Conservative Party Conference that sufficient progress has been made during the negotiations. He has urged Brussels to prepare for the next stage.
Mr. Verhofstadt contradicted the Brexit Secretary by holding a non-binding vote on Tuesday night on whether sufficient progress had been made. 557 MEPs voted in favour of a resolution that sufficient progress had not been made, with 92 voting against and 29 abstentions.
The motion accuses the UK of failing to present concrete proposals moving forward.
Mr. Ashworth and Ms Girling were accused of putting their own Remainer views above the national interest by voting alongside Mr. Verhofstadt. One senior Conservative source told The Daily Express that their behaviour is completely unacceptable. They accused them of delaying crucial trade talks and undermining Britain's negotiating position.
Mr. Ashworth and Ms Girling were approached for comment by Express.co.uk, but declined to do so.
International Trade Secretary Liam Fox mocked the vote, saying it will have no impact on Brexit at all. He said the European Parliament will have no final say on the trade deal.
Instead, that will be down to the heads of government in the European Council, who will then inform the European Commission of their instructions on how to negotiate moving forward.
Mr. Fox added he was not surprised by the vote.
