Britain could still make payments to the EU, Tory manifesto confirms

The manifesto confirms Britain will be leaving the single market

Theresa May launching her party's manifesto (DAN KITWOOD/AFP/Getty Images)

Britain could still continue make payments to the European Union after it leaves the bloc, the Conservative manifesto has confirmed.

The Tory document, launched on Tuesday, neither rules out Britain paying a one-off divorce bill to the EU to settle outstanding arrears and commitments.

The EU section of the manifesto appears to allude to such a one-off payment and says that a “fair settlement” will be reached.

It spells out Tory policy on the EU and collates comments by Theresa May and her ministers together for the first time.

“There may be specific European programmes in which we might want to participate and if so, it will be reasonable that we make a contribution,” the manifesto says.

“We will determine a fair settlement of the UK’s rights and obligations as a departing member state, in accordance with the law and in the spirit of the UK’s continuing partnership with the EU.

“The principle, however, is clear: the days of Britain making vast annual contributions to the European Union will end.”

Theresa May and Boris Johnson have previously said that Britain would stop paying “huge sums of money” to the EU, though they have implicitly not ruled out a continued contribution.

Speaking at Brussels summit in March when asked about making any continued contribution, Ms May said: “Boris was clear and I am clear, when people voted on June 23 for us to leave the European Union they voted for us in the future not to pay huge sums of money to the EU every year, and of course when we leave the EU that will be the case.”

Mr Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, has previously balked at suggestions the UK could pay for access to the single market.

However the Tory manifesto confirms the party’s policy of taking Britain out of the single market and customs union – a 180 degree reversal of the party’s 2015 policy.