Brexit Secretary David Davis has refused to name the “one or two” EU member states holding up a deal to guarantee the status of EU nationals living in the UK.
The Tory frontbencher said Theresa May was keen to resolve this aspect of the negotiations at an early stage and had already tried to reach an agreement which would also protect the rights of Britons living in the EU.
The prime minister has faced repeated calls to reassure EU citizens they will be able to stay post-Brexit, but has refused to do so until she confirms such a guarantee would be reciprocal.
Mr Davis faced numerous questions on the issue in the Commons yesterday.
He told MPs some states did not want to enter into any form of negotiation prior to Article 50 being triggered.
He said: “Most of them agree, but one or two don’t. And we have to keep pressing, as we will, to resolve this as quickly as possible.”
Conservative MP Sir Simon Burns asked for clarification on what was holding up an agreement.
Mr Davis admitted he was “not 100% sure what the actual problems are” and ignored calls from seated MPs to “name and shame”.
But he added: “In the run-in to these negotiations of course the (European) commission and some member states have taken a very stern stance on no negotiation before notification and they may think this is trying to pre-empt that.”
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine MP Stuart Donaldson also raised the issue, prompting Mr Davis to criticise the SNP’s “holier than thou stance”.