EURO-PRAT Michel Barnier has accused Britain of running away from the fight against ISIS by voting for Brexit.
The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator said the UK had ignored pleas from European allies to combat terrorism and chose to be ‘on its own again’ by voting for Brexit.
“[Brexit] was a decision taken against the backdrop of a strategic repositioning by our American ally, which has gathered pace since the election of Donald Trump.” He said.
“It was a decision that came after a series of attacks on European soil, committed by young people who grew up in Europe, in our countries.”
It was a decision that came six months after the French Minister of Defence issued a call for solidarity to all his European counterparts to join forces to fight the terrorism of Daesh.
Never had the need to be together, to protect ourselves together, to act together been so strong, so manifest. Yet rather than stay shoulder to shoulder with the Union, the British chose to be on their own again.”
Barnier’s comments were greeted with an angry response from MPs, Tory MP Peter Bone said it was ‘outrageous’ for Mr Barnier to suggest the UK was not playing its part – insisting that NATO, not the EU was responsible for ensuring peace.
He told MailOnline: ‘This is extraordinary even by Eurocrat standards.
‘I would much rather him lecturing the rest of the EU about what they are spending on defence. It is outrageous.
‘The simple answer is that we don’t have an EU defence force, thank God.
‘NATO has kept the peace, The fact that we have come out of the EU makes no difference to that.
‘This is an extraordinary attack on the UK. How can we negotiate with someone who says this kind of thing?’
Downing Street said,
“The UK continues to play a leading role in combating Daesh in terms of online and in the fight on the ground in Syria.”