UK: Tusk’s ‘place in hell’ remark for Brexit backers stirs backlash

European Council President Donald Tusk has said he had been “wondering what that special place in hell looks like for those who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely”. The remark came as Tusk spoke to journalists on Wednesday after meeting Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in […]

European Council President Donald Tusk has said he had been “wondering what that special place in hell looks like for those who promoted Brexit without even a sketch of a plan how to carry it out safely”.

The remark came as Tusk spoke to journalists on Wednesday after meeting Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in Brussels, where the European Union (EU) is headquartered.

Ahead of a meeting between British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker on Thursday, Tusk reiterated that the EU had no intention of renegotiating the backstop.

“The EU is first and foremost a peace project. We will not gamble with peace or put a sell-by date on reconciliation,” Tusk said.

Reactions to Tusk’s “place in hell” comments, which he also tweeted, were not long to follow. Theresa May’s spokesman said such language was unhelpful seeing as Brexit is the result of a referendum that he called “the largest democratic exercise in our history”.