REVEALED: These THREE member states could SHUN 'rigid' Brussels and BACK Brexit Britain

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Portugal, Spain and Italy could all be ready to side with Britain amid anger that the UK is not being given a suitable deal from the European Union.

Jim O'Neill, former UK Commercial Secretary to the Treasury, claimed the EU’s current stance on Brexit is “pretty rigid”. 

Mr O'Neill suggested that some EU member states are getting tiresome of the approach by Brussels, which would cause a divide on the continent. 

He said: “I think from the sense of the EU that those tasked with trying to look of it from the whole of the 27, understandably they are being driven by we must punish somebody that leaves.

“It’s a pretty rigid stance and I would understand why they would adopt that.” 

Mr O'Neill then explained to Bloomberg the problems with the EU’s stance and that “individual countries” could soon go against Brussels and adopt a new stance. 

He said: “Their dilemma is, and I think we see some signs of. Individual countries who see their own bilateral things with the UK being threatened with that stance are starting to say ‘hand

on a minute’.

“I guess it’s in the UK’s tactical interest to try and play on what I think the Italians, the Spanish and the Portuguese have been hinting at, that ‘we don’t believe that we should be this

central simplistic split up with the UK’. 

I think we see some signs of individual countries who see their own bilateral things with the UK being threatened

Mr O'Neill also claimed that he believed the UK economy was a bit stronger that had been predicted by analysts and thought forecasts would pick up within the next couple of weeks. 

He claimed that this would allow Brexiteers to continue saying: “what is the big fuss”. 

The comments come as yesterday the President of the European Council said that the UK could still change its mind on Brexit. 

Speaking in Strasbourg, Donald Tusk said: “If the UK government sticks to its decision to leave, Brexit will become a reality with all its negative consequences in March next year. Unless

there is a change of heart amongst our British friends.

“Wasn’t it David Davis himself who said if a democracy cannot change its mind it ceases to be a democracy. We here on the continent haven’t had a change of heart, our heart’s are still open

to you.”

President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker said that he hoped the message was “heard” in London. 

Some EU chiefs, including Guy Verhofstadt and Manfred Weber used their speeches to mock Britain for its plan to move back to the blue passport after Brexit. 

Theresa May has said that the UK will seek a bespoke deal with Brussels when it leaves the European Union and begins upcoming trade talks. 

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