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Brexit negotiations: European Parliament says sufficient progress not made as it urges EU leaders to delay next phase of talks Brexit negotiations: European Parliament says sufficient progress not made as it urges EU leaders to delay next phase of talks
(35 minutes later)
The European Parliament is calling for Brexit talks to be delayed after it warned that "sufficient progress has not yet been made" on key areas, including citizens’ rights and the so-called divorce bill.  MEPs have delivered a blow to Theresa May by demanding talks on a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU are delayed because of Britain’s confused stance.
MEPs overwhelmingly backed a resolution saying not enough progress on key separation issues had been made.  The European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a motion warning that “sufficient progress has not yet been made” on first agreeing the divorce deal.
They and warned that a “major breakthrough” was now needed to reenergise talks. EU leaders have insisted Britain must first move to settle three key separation issues; the financial settlement, the future rights of EU citizens and the Irish border.
The vote represents a blow to Theresa May, who had hoped that her speech in Florence would act as a catalyst for talks to move to the future relationship between the UK and Brussels.  But the motion – passed unamended - instead accused the UK of having “seriously impeded” talks over the so-called divorce bill because of a lack of “clear proposals”.
More follows… The resolution was backed by 557 MEPs sitting in Strasbourg, with just 92 voting against and 29 abstentions.
Only a “major breakthrough” should see the EU council of ministers agree to move onto the second phase of the talks – future trade – at a summit later this month, it said.
The vote in Strasbourg is not binding, but the views of MEPs are crucial because they have a veto over any final Brexit agreement.
It represents a setback for the Prime Minister, who hoped her speech in Florence – promising to plug any hole in the EU budget, until 2020 – would break the stalemate.
During the debate, a senior MEP warned Ms may that Boris Johnson must be sacked if she wanted to prevent the Brexit negotiations breaking down.
Manfred Weber, a key ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said the Foreign Secretary’s interventions left the Government “trapped by their own party quarrels and political contradictions”.
“Please sack Johnson because we need a clear answer who is responsible for the British position,” said the leader of the centre-right EPP grouping in the European Parliament.
“Who do I call in London - Theresa May, Boris Johnson or David Davis? Please don't put your party first. We need a clear answer who is responsible for the British position.”
The warning was echoed by Guy Verhofstadt, the Parliament's Brexit co-ordinator, who said Cabinet splits were blocking progress in the exit talks.
“There is a lack of clarity, there is even disunity. There are oppositions between Hammond and Fox. There are divisions between Johnson and May,” Mr Verhofstadt said.
MEPs passed the resolution, drawn up by the Parliament’s Brexit Steering Group, following a debate on Tuesday morning with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and chief negotiator Michel Barnier. 
  
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