A fresh Brexit dispute has emerged over the size of the UK’s “divorce bill” after the European Union estimated it is now worth billions more than expected.
The EU and UK agreed a divorce deal under which the UK continues to pay into the bloc's budget to match commitments made during its membership.
Downing Street on Friday rejected the new net figure that emerged in Brussels’ latest accounts of €47.5 billion.
"We don't recognise that figure," British prime minister Boris Johnson's spokesman told reporters.
"It's an estimate produced by the EU for its own internal accounting purposes. For example, it doesn't reflect all the money owed back to the UK, which reduces the amount we pay."
EU response
The EU rejected the UK's characterisation of the figures contained in the bloc's budget report.
"The figure (is) €47.5 billion, which the United Kingdom is going to have to pay into the European Union budget over the next years," an EU spokesperson said.
"All the calculations have been carried out in line with the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement," the spokesperson said, referring to the divorce deal. "The report is final."
The bill, buried in the EU’s accounts for 2020, states that €6.8 billion euros is to be paid by the UK this year.
Downing Street said its estimate of the cost remained within the central range it has previously set out: 35 to 39 billion pounds.
