The former Conservative leader Michael Howard has said the EU’s chief negotiator is acting like “the representative of a country that has just won a war.” The Tory grandee said he had wanted to “sit down with our former partners” and have a “friendly discussion” but said that his hopes had been dashed by Michel Barnier. Speaking at BrexitCentral’s first Birthday party in Westminster last night, Lord Howard of Lympne said: “Mr Barnier seems to be acting as the representative of a country that has just won a war and is determined to exact the maximum amount of reparations from a vanquished, defeated country. “But we are not a vanquished, defeated country.” Lord Howard, who served as Home Secretary under John Major, criticised the EU negotiator for his refusal to go through a line by line examination of the so called Brexit bill. He proposed that the financial settlement be subject to a neutral party who would decide if there was anything to pay. “We will agree in advance to be bound to the outcome of that arbitration, and we would invite Mr. Barnier similarly to be bound in advance.” Lord Howard also referred to the record employment figures and praised London’s lead over New York as the financial capital of the world. “What a confoundment to those who predicted doom and gloom before the vote.” “Now of course they say, well we haven’t had Brexit yet, just wait and see what happens when we have Brexit. “Well I’m longing for the day when we have Brexit, because just as we’ve proved them wrong over the last year we will prove them wrong when we leave.” Lord Howard said that using independent arbitration to settle the issue of money, an idea first proposed by Martin Howe QC and Tory MP Charlie Elphicke, would represent the kind of progress that the EU are demanding. “Let’s demonstrate progress, let’s make this offer to Mr Barnier and let’s see what he says.”