A picturesque village in the south of France has claimed that local businesses are at risk of meltdown in the case of a bad Brexit deal.
Local business owners in Eymet, which is nicknamed ‘Little England’ for the amount of UK expats living there, insist their livelihoods are at stake in the EU negotiations.
Speaking to Reuters, they said more than a third of their business comes from Britons and a bad Brexit deal could throw this into doubt.
One market stall owner said: “If the British were not here, this would be a tiny market. The British represent 35% of the clientele in the winter months when business drops.”
Cheesemonger Philippe Barb echoed this: “If there are no English here, we’re screwed! They’re a big part of our local economy.”
Around 300 Britons live in the medieval village in the Dordogne region, which also boasts an English pub, tea room and shop.
The expats themselves have shrugged off fears that the EU would play hardball, and put their finances at risk over trade talks.
One Briton explained: “If you kicked us out, this town would die overnight”.
Despite this confidence, other business owners fear the British spending power could come under threat in the scenario of a bad deal.
However, this come as the German Foreign Minister voiced his support for a bespoke trade deal with Britain.
The remarks from Germany are at odds with the Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, who said the UK has to choose a template of existing deals.