Britons could pay to keep the benefits of European Union citizenship after Brexit, under plans being considered by MEPs.
The European Parliament's lead Brexit negotiator, Guy Verhofstadt, said he supported the principle of the idea.
Verhofstadt said Britons who voted to Remain in the referendum did not want to sever their links to the EU.
The idea, if granted, could see UK citizens sending an annual fee to Brussels to retain individual membership.
In an interview with The Times, he said: "Many say 'we don't want to cut our links'.
"I like the idea that people who are European citizens and saying they want to keep it have the possibility of doing so. As a principle I like it."
MEPs will vote on the proposals by the end of the year, but any Brexit deal with the UK would need the agreement of the other 27 EU leaders as well as the parliament.
Brexit-backing Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said Brussels would attempt anything to prevent the UK from leaving the EU.
He told the newspaper: "It's an attempt to create two classes of UK citizen and to subvert the referendum vote.
"The truth is that Brussels will try every trick in the book to stop us leaving."
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