EU should put pressure on UK over Brexit, says Verhofstadt

The European Union must increase pressure on Britain to move forward on its exit from the bloc, the European Parliament's Brexit coordinator told German television on Thursday, after British lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to seek a delay.

Liberal party leader Guy Verfhofstadt expressed frustration about what he called repeated negative votes by British lawmakers, and said the EU could only agree to a short delay if parliament made clear what exactly it would support.

"We have to increase the pressure," he said. "How many votes have there been, and every time it's a negative majority, a majority against something. The time has come where we must see a broad majority that goes beyond the party lines."