‘They want us to fail’ Brussels prepared to sabotage EU to punish UK, MEP says
MEPS want to see Britain humiliated by Brexit negotiations, and would even risk damaging the European union (EU) to see the UK suffer, it has been claimed.
MEP Rupert Matthews discusses 'taking back control' from EU
Rupert Matthews, newly elected Conservative MEP for the East Midlands, claimed the “overwhelming feeling” of many MEPs across the continent “is a mixture of sorrow and bafflement”.
But he claimed there is an undercurrent of spite, with some in the European Parliament wanting to “crush” the UK over its decision to leave the Brussels bloc.
Mr Matthews, who was elected last month, warned a minority of politicians hope to see Britain punished in negotiations, and are hoping for the UK to be left stranded with the worst deal possible.
Some MEPs want to "crush" the UK over Brexit
Hammond: There are leaders in Brussels out to PUNISH Britain
Michael Barnier is leading the EU negotiation team
He said: “There are a few who want Britain to fail, to see us reduced to penury and abject humiliation.
“They fear that if we make a success of Brexit, as I believe we will, then others may follow us out of the exit door and leave the European Union.
“They want to impose a punishment beating on Britain, to inflict the harshest possible conditions on the Brexit deal.
“They despair of the Commission and the governments of the member states who actually care about trade with the UK and want to protect the jobs of people in the 27 Member States that will be left after Brexit.
“They will accept damage to the European Union as a price worth paying to crush Britain.”
They will accept damage to the European Union as a price worth paying to crush Britain
Mr Matthews, a former Campaign Manager for the Freedom Association’s Better Off Out campaign, was elected to the Parliament this month, having replaced Andrew Lewer MBE after he was elected to Westminster in the June 8 snap election.
And he says he is keen to see Britain leave the EU as soon as possible, even if he joked it was “not often that you arrive for your first day in a new job in the sure and certain hope of the redundancy to come.”
But he warned there was still a lot of work to be done in the months leading up to the conclusion of negotiations.
Swedish MEP: Punishing UK is not good way of handling situation
David Davis kicked off Brexit talks last month
He said: “Since we do not know how the Brexit negotiations will go, we cannot be certain to what extent the new EU laws might impact us in the future.
“Businesses exporting to the EU will not thank us for allowing burdensome regulations to pass.
“There is much to be done before Britain escapes the Brussels Behemoth, and only 21 months in which to do it.”
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