‘Only way for Britain to be GLOBAL is to STAY in EU’ MEP taunts UK with unbelievable claim
EUROPEAN MEP Philippe Lamberts believes Britain can only be a global strength if it stays in the EU.
Lamberts: Only way for UK to be global is to be part of EU
The Greens co-leader said the UK should not blame Brussels for a “lack of flexibility” over its Brexit stance.
Mr Lamberts was addressing MEPs as the Conservative Party conference takes place in Birmingham.
He also took a swipe at British foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt after he compared the EU to the Soviet Union.
There were "intractable contradictions" at the heart of Britain's Brexit stance, according to the Eurpoean Parliament MEP.
Mr Lamberts said: "The UK decided freely to join the EU, it also decided freely to hold a referendum.
"To those especially the UK who blame the EU27 for lack of flexibility.
"We cannot be held responsible for resolving intractable contradictions of the UK."
He added: "There may come a day in the near future when...the only way for Britain to be global is to be part of the EU.
He accused Mr Hunt of adopting "far right" rhetoric after comparing the EU27 to the old Soviet Union.
The single bloc was united in its Brexit stance, he added, although there had been "blunt statements" issued during negotiations between London and Brussels, Mr Lamberts said.
He said: "But they came nowhere close to what we heard from the British foreign secretary who took the now commonplace rhetoric of the rar right comparing the European Union with the Soviet Union."
Mr Lamberts warned against the dangers of a no-deal Brexit which would "poison" relations between Britan and the EU..
Both parties should focus on withdrawal negotiations to provide a platform for future relations.
Mr Hunt's comments were slammed by other MEPs during the parliamentary session.
German MEP Manfred Weber blasted the British Foreign Secretary for reaching a "new level of populism".
Mr Weber said: "After March 2019 for the first time Brexiteers will have to take responsibility for their decisions, explain to the people what they did.
"They won't be able to blame Brussels anymore."