Chairman of the Defence Select Committee said both Labour and the Conservatives need to be brave enough to say what many MPs privately think
A senior Tory has called for both main parties to show the courage and strength of character to admit that Brexit has failed and seek to rejoin the EU single market.
Tobias Ellwood, Conservative chairman of the defence select committee, said many MPs privately agree with the case for a Norway-style relationship with the EU but are too scared to say so.
Speaking to i, Ellwood, 56, also predicted the main Ukraine counteroffensive operation will start within weeks, called for patience with Kyiv and warned that a wounded Vladimir Putin will “stoop low” to cling to power.
And he made the economic case for an immediate increase in defence spending saying the invasion has revealed that the country is particularly exposed to increasing global instability.
Ellwood was an early and prominent critic of Brexit, and among the first Conservatives to call for Boris Johnson to quit and remains the only Tory MP to publicly call for the UK to consider rejoining the single market.
“The last couple years have been pretty miserable. I questioned why I’m in politics when the political party I align myself to has lost sight perhaps of its function, its purpose, its identity,” said the Bournemouth East MP.
He praised Rishi Sunak for showing “statecraft” for getting the Windsor Framework on trading arrangements with Northern Ireland through and says that he believes he can lead the Tories to victory at the next election – but only if he’s given the chance by Johnson’s allies.
Ellwood criticised Nadine Dorries for delaying her resignation meaning that Sunak faces the distraction of yet another by-election this autumn after the three contests later this month.
“It’s just astonishing that she’s willing to do that knowing that means another by-election and that we need a clear road to land our policies [with voters],” he said.
For Ellwood Brexit has become the issue that dare not speak its name.
“Nobody dares mention Brexit on the Labour or Conservative side or look at the numbers to see whether economically it would be wiser for us to be in or outside of the single market,” he says.
“Surely we should have that strength of character, the courage to look at the biggest generational decision which is now clearly not gone in the right direction. I didn’t know anybody who voted Remain or Brexit, who expected us to be where we are today, but we dare not go there.”
In addition to the economic damage he said leaving the single market has caused, he said Breixt has left the UK isolated from its allies just as the world is becoming more dangerous.
Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, failed in his bid to become the new Nato secretary general because the UK is no longer in the EU, he claims.
Ellwood urges the public to be patient with Ukraine and not to expect a swift end of the war.
“The main Ukrainian armoured brigades haven’t even launched. Ukraine have been testing the strengths and the weaknesses and of course waiting for more battle tanks for F16s. There’s likely to be a significant offensive operation involving a number of armoured brigades within the next month.”
Ellwood, who accurately predicted the invasion 18 months ago in an earlier interview with i, said the objective is to drive a wedge between Russia’s troops but Putin’s decision to blow the Kakhovka Dam had complicated planning.
He added: “We need to be patient. World War II didn’t end with the D-Day landings, there was Operation Market Garden, crossing the Rhine, the taking of Berlin and so on.”
Last week’s mutiny had wounded Vladimir Putin and the Russian president would “stoop low” he warned, making the world an even more dangerous place, he says.
That’s why, he claimed, the Treasury needs to find the cash to increase defence spending above 2.5 per cent of GDP now rather than when, as present, only when the economy improves.
“Half of our GDP is internationally facing a reflection as that is the war in Ukraine. Why are all the gas prices up, why is the cost of food up – because of the war.”
Yes, but this time you sign the same deal as everyone else. No pound, no border, no British specialty policies
Quick, before they rejoin: the EU should adopt all the legislation that the UK was the only one who blocked.
>In December 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellwood urged the government not to relax the rules governing social mixing over the Christmas period, then attended a Christmas party at the Cavalry and Guards Club in London with 26 other people.
>Ellwood voted to remain in the 2016 EU referendum. He later stated that the leave result should nevertheless be respected and that the government should not try to reverse this decision
>In September 2015, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority named Ellwood and 25 current and former MPs who failed to settle a total of approximately £2,000 the previous year in overclaimed expenses, forcing them to be written off
>He was criticised in the press after reportedly describing Liverpudlian landlords taking over pubs in his constituency as “criminals”
Brexit was never going to succeed, and now politicians refuse to admit it, so the game of finger-pointing has begun!
appears to be missing the main point. The free movement of people will be necessary for the single market, and even though it is popular in this country, any party that supported it would enable the Tories to unite around the single issue and propel them back into power with a sizable majority.
Goodluck trying to get same benefits back this time.
Uhm, it might be a coincidence but I’m reading this more and more now that there’s a new king.
Rejoining also means joining the Eurozone and Schengen area, this time.
Yes, Brexit was one of the most idiotic “hold my beer” decisions in recent politics, but by conflating the single market with the EU, you’re just doing the tories’ and UKIP’s job for them. They will be repeating this lie enough as it is.
The UK still doesn’t get it. You can’t simply decide to join the common market or the EU.
Why should the EU be fine allowing the UK to become a member? What is the UK bringing?
Note: I want the UK to join the EU again, but I want them to be humble and understand they’re not special in the world. We Europeans don’t want British toxicity and superiority that they wore proudly for decades.
Whaaaat? The idea of rebuilding the British imperial market through the idea of CANZUK doesn’t work out as hoped? Nobody could have seen this coming!
12 comments
Chairman of the Defence Select Committee said both Labour and the Conservatives need to be brave enough to say what many MPs privately think
A senior Tory has called for both main parties to show the courage and strength of character to admit that Brexit has failed and seek to rejoin the EU single market.
Tobias Ellwood, Conservative chairman of the defence select committee, said many MPs privately agree with the case for a Norway-style relationship with the EU but are too scared to say so.
Speaking to i, Ellwood, 56, also predicted the main Ukraine counteroffensive operation will start within weeks, called for patience with Kyiv and warned that a wounded Vladimir Putin will “stoop low” to cling to power.
And he made the economic case for an immediate increase in defence spending saying the invasion has revealed that the country is particularly exposed to increasing global instability.
Ellwood was an early and prominent critic of Brexit, and among the first Conservatives to call for Boris Johnson to quit and remains the only Tory MP to publicly call for the UK to consider rejoining the single market.
“The last couple years have been pretty miserable. I questioned why I’m in politics when the political party I align myself to has lost sight perhaps of its function, its purpose, its identity,” said the Bournemouth East MP.
He praised Rishi Sunak for showing “statecraft” for getting the Windsor Framework on trading arrangements with Northern Ireland through and says that he believes he can lead the Tories to victory at the next election – but only if he’s given the chance by Johnson’s allies.
Ellwood criticised Nadine Dorries for delaying her resignation meaning that Sunak faces the distraction of yet another by-election this autumn after the three contests later this month.
“It’s just astonishing that she’s willing to do that knowing that means another by-election and that we need a clear road to land our policies [with voters],” he said.
For Ellwood Brexit has become the issue that dare not speak its name.
“Nobody dares mention Brexit on the Labour or Conservative side or look at the numbers to see whether economically it would be wiser for us to be in or outside of the single market,” he says.
“Surely we should have that strength of character, the courage to look at the biggest generational decision which is now clearly not gone in the right direction. I didn’t know anybody who voted Remain or Brexit, who expected us to be where we are today, but we dare not go there.”
In addition to the economic damage he said leaving the single market has caused, he said Breixt has left the UK isolated from its allies just as the world is becoming more dangerous.
Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, failed in his bid to become the new Nato secretary general because the UK is no longer in the EU, he claims.
Ellwood urges the public to be patient with Ukraine and not to expect a swift end of the war.
“The main Ukrainian armoured brigades haven’t even launched. Ukraine have been testing the strengths and the weaknesses and of course waiting for more battle tanks for F16s. There’s likely to be a significant offensive operation involving a number of armoured brigades within the next month.”
Ellwood, who accurately predicted the invasion 18 months ago in an earlier interview with i, said the objective is to drive a wedge between Russia’s troops but Putin’s decision to blow the Kakhovka Dam had complicated planning.
He added: “We need to be patient. World War II didn’t end with the D-Day landings, there was Operation Market Garden, crossing the Rhine, the taking of Berlin and so on.”
Last week’s mutiny had wounded Vladimir Putin and the Russian president would “stoop low” he warned, making the world an even more dangerous place, he says.
That’s why, he claimed, the Treasury needs to find the cash to increase defence spending above 2.5 per cent of GDP now rather than when, as present, only when the economy improves.
“Half of our GDP is internationally facing a reflection as that is the war in Ukraine. Why are all the gas prices up, why is the cost of food up – because of the war.”
Yes, but this time you sign the same deal as everyone else. No pound, no border, no British specialty policies
Quick, before they rejoin: the EU should adopt all the legislation that the UK was the only one who blocked.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobias_Ellwood
>In December 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellwood urged the government not to relax the rules governing social mixing over the Christmas period, then attended a Christmas party at the Cavalry and Guards Club in London with 26 other people.
>Ellwood voted to remain in the 2016 EU referendum. He later stated that the leave result should nevertheless be respected and that the government should not try to reverse this decision
>In September 2015, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority named Ellwood and 25 current and former MPs who failed to settle a total of approximately £2,000 the previous year in overclaimed expenses, forcing them to be written off
>He was criticised in the press after reportedly describing Liverpudlian landlords taking over pubs in his constituency as “criminals”
Brexit was never going to succeed, and now politicians refuse to admit it, so the game of finger-pointing has begun!
appears to be missing the main point. The free movement of people will be necessary for the single market, and even though it is popular in this country, any party that supported it would enable the Tories to unite around the single issue and propel them back into power with a sizable majority.
Goodluck trying to get same benefits back this time.
Uhm, it might be a coincidence but I’m reading this more and more now that there’s a new king.
Rejoining also means joining the Eurozone and Schengen area, this time.
Y’all.
He’s talking about the *Single Market* (basically the [EEA/EFTA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Economic_Area), though it can be done through other agreements as well) and not the EU.
Yes, Brexit was one of the most idiotic “hold my beer” decisions in recent politics, but by conflating the single market with the EU, you’re just doing the tories’ and UKIP’s job for them. They will be repeating this lie enough as it is.
The UK still doesn’t get it. You can’t simply decide to join the common market or the EU.
Why should the EU be fine allowing the UK to become a member? What is the UK bringing?
Note: I want the UK to join the EU again, but I want them to be humble and understand they’re not special in the world. We Europeans don’t want British toxicity and superiority that they wore proudly for decades.
Whaaaat? The idea of rebuilding the British imperial market through the idea of CANZUK doesn’t work out as hoped? Nobody could have seen this coming!