A major summit held in the UK this week has sparked concerns among Brexiteers that the newly-elected Prime Minister will draw Britain much closer to the European Union than they desire.
A member of a pro-Brexit campaign group hit out at some of the proposals that emerged from the European Political Community summit held on Thursday at Blenheim Palace.
Attended by more than 40 nations across the continent, the summit was Sir Keir Starmer’s first international event on domestic soil since the July 4 election.
During the event, Mr Starmer reassured the European leaders he wanted to renew “trust and friendship” with them and proposed a security pact with the EU.
Mr Starmer also announced £84million to be invested in Africa and the Middle East to try and deter migrants from coming to the UK and tackle illegal migration “at source”.
Stuart Coster, director of the Democracy Movement, told Express.co.uk following the summit: “Few will oppose co-operation with our European neighbours on issues that affect us all, but Keir Starmer should not take that as licence to splash millions of pounds in public money on wasteful and often badly run EU interventions in Africa, or to hand decision-making back to the EU.
“Talk of sharing intelligence with Germany so soon after a German military official leaked details of British military assistance to Ukraine, or allowing the EU to govern defence procurement after the mess made by the Commission over Covid vaccine contracts, look spectacularly ill-judged.”
As noted by the campaigner, the General Court of the European Union found this week that the European Commission had not granted the public “wide enough access to the contracts for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines”.
Mr Coster added: “It’s particularly notable that Keir Starmer’s proposed ‘security pact’ with the EU appears to cover a far wider array of policies than its title suggests.”
During the summit, Mr Starmer’s agenda appeared to be focused on increasing collaboration between London and the rest of Europe on illegal migration and national security, and he pledged a greater involvement by the UK in Europol.
The Prime Minister also suggested the UK Border Security Command would work with European nations to share intelligence, data and expertise and put the gang trafficking migrants across the Channel “out of business”.
The campaigner concluded: “The proof of his government’s claimed respect for Brexit will be in the actual terms of any deal. The vast majority of voters at the general election voted for parties that pledged not to hand powers back to the EU.”
The Labour manifesto pledged “Britain will stay outside of the EU” and would not return to the single market, custom union or freedom of movement.
However, the manifesto did acknowledge a desire to “reset the relationship and seek to deepen ties with our European friends, neighbours and allies”, particularly when it comes to trade and security.
