'We will help Britain STAY!' Euro MEPs gloat UK should scrap Brexit
A MEMBER of the European Parliament gloated over Britain’s departure from the EU suggesting he and his colleagues would send a Christmas card to Theresa May offering her “help” to scrap Brexit.
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Indrek Tarand, Estonian MEP, wrote to his fellow lawmakers about his plan appealing to them to get on board with the idea which appeared to mock the Prime Minister’s efforts to secure a good deal. He insisted he was not trying to tell Guy Verhofstadt, the leader of liberal MEPs, how to do his job, but nevertheless said he should send a festive greeting to the UK Government offering assistance in backtracking on leaving the EU. “I do not want to stick my nose into the sacred seas of Mr Verhofstadt’s responsibilities, but just a small recommendation for you to consider,” wrote Mr Tarand in a note to all his fellow MEPs.
He added that the group should send “a Christmas card to the British Parliament and the government” signed by European Parliament President Antonio Tajani “and supported by those who wish to co-sign”.
Mr Tarand, an independent who sits with the European Green Party in Strasbourg, went on to give his opinion on what the substance of the message should be, suggesting something along the lines of: “We shall do our part in order to help you to stay in the EU.”
Hoping that other MEPs would also see the lighter side of his seasonal prank, he made sure to not exclude anyone including Nigel Farage, MEP for South East England and vice chairman of pro-Brexit group Leaves Means Leave.
He said: “Even our colleague Mr Nigel Farage with his former party members can join us in that effort,” adding a smily face emoji to the end of his message.
It is not known what MEPs from the other 27 member states thought of Mr Tarand’s cheeky message but it was met with equal humour by Yorkshire and Humber MEP Mike Hookem.
The UKIP’s assistant deputy leader responded by refusing the offer to sign a Christmas card and instead suggested the Prime Minister should be posted a redundancy notice.
Mr Hookam said: “Dear Indrek, I would rather send Theresa May and her government a P45.”
It comes after the Prime Minister suffered another humiliating blow when EU leaders refused to renegotiate her withdrawal agreement after she travelled to Brussels for meetings.
Brexit: Irish backstop is only an ‘insurance’ claims Verhofstadt
Mrs May had sought reassurances over the Irish backstop but the EU said there could be renegotiation, only clarifications.
European Commission president Jean-Claude Junker said: “Our UK friends need to say what they want, instead of asking us to say what we want, and so we would like within a few weeks our UK friends to set out their expectations for us, because this debate is sometimes nebulous and imprecise and I would like clarifications.”
On Wednesday the Prime Minister saw her political credibility damaged when one-third of her MPs said they had no confidence in her as Conservative party leader.
Arriving for talks in Brussels yesterday to salvage her deal, Mrs May confirmed she would not lead the Tories into the next general election.