Campaigners who warned before the 2016 referendum vote that Britain was heading towards military engagement alongside European Union forces were accused of pushing false narratives\u2014\u201ddangerous,\u201d even\u2014for their own political gains.<\/p>\n
Not only was talk about a forthcoming EU army completely legitimate<\/a>, UK troops might also now end up being deployed on EU missions<\/a> despite Brexit.<\/p>\n A leaked draft of a new London-Brussels defence and security partnership obtained<\/a> by The Daily Telegraph reveals that this\u2014considering sending troops on both \u201ccivilian missions and military operations and missions, upon the invitation of the EU\u201d\u2014may be the price of Britain joining the bloc\u2019s \u20ac150billion rearmament programme.<\/p>\n Prime Minister Keir Starmer\u2019s team is also being pushed to agree to a separate deal allowing EU boats to continue fishing in British waters\u2014one of the most contentious issues within the wider Brexit debate\u2014for at least three years.<\/p>\n Reform deputy leader Richard Tice described<\/a> the draft as Starmer\u2019s \u201cEU army sellout plan.\u201d<\/p>\n Labour wants to tie our armed forces to EU in defence deal whilst selling out [the] fishing industry \u2026.. NO NO NO.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n The pro-Brexit Bruges Group also bashed<\/a> \u201cthe idea of British troops being sent to fight the EU\u2019s battles\u201d as \u201cabhorrent.\u201d<\/p>\n Broadcaster GB News said Starmer had been \u201cforced<\/a>\u201d to send troops on EU missions in return for access to Brussels\u2019 defence pact, whereas if such a deal is signed it will be wholly by choice, and one the PM\u2014who tried (\/is still trying) to undo the 2016 referendum\u2014will no doubt be pleased to make. Note also that Foreign Secretary David Lammy\u2014who called Tory Brexiteers\u00a0 \u201cNazis\u201d and likewise pushed for a second referendum\u2014said<\/a> on Wednesday he was \u201cpleased that we are now negotiating with our friends in Europe, a UK-EU Defence Security Partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n\n