The European Parliament's chief Brexit coordinator has mocked Theresa May over her crucial speech in Florence.

Guy Verhofstadt said Mrs May chose the Italian city because of its political history of backstabbing and betrayal.

Smiling, he told an audience at the LSE: "I think she chose Florence because Florentine politics in the 15th century made her feel at home.

"Backstabbing, betrayal, noble families fighting for power... It is an environment that she recognised fairly well."

Image: May gave a crucial speech on Brexit in Florence

He also appeared to directly tackle Boris Johnson after the Foreign Secretary claimed he was "troubled" by young people protesting against Brexit having "split alliances".


Mr Verhofstadt said: "Criticising people for wanting to keep their European identity and accusing them of 'split allegiance' is a reductionist understanding of identity."

Image: Mr Johnson was mocked for his 'split allegiances' comment

The Belgian MEP also branded Brexit a "waste of time and energy" and said the only good thing about it was a renewed popularity for the EU among its members.

And he claimed that rather than a "domino effect" of countries following Britain out of the bloc: "What has happened is quite the opposite".

But Mr Verhofstadt voiced hopes a bond would remain between the 27-member bloc and the UK, calling for "a new relationship" that will "hopefully be beneficial for both".

EU says no 'sufficient progress' made in Brexit talks

He also said the EU was not a union but a "loose confederation of nation states", and that there were at least "a dozen European Unions" based on the different relationships it had with members.

The former deputy prime minister added a warning that Britain's financial obligations to the EU could run beyond the end of 2019 - the year it will at least begin to leave.

He said: "Everybody knows that if you have made a commitment in 2019 or 2018 or 2020, it can create and produce payments that are going off 2020.

"That's one of the first lessons I learned when I become minister of budget, the difference between a commitment and a payment."