Labour was urged to “stand up” to Emmanuel Macron during a blistering Brexit fishing row in the Commons today. Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said the French President was prioritising “fishing rights over Europe’s collective security”.
But Defence Secretary John Healey told him to “drop that Brexit rhetoric” during the exchange. It comes after Britain was shut out of a £150 billion EU rearmament fund amid opposition from France.
Speaking during defence questions this afternoon, Mr Cartlidge said: “On the potential peacekeeping force for Ukraine, we’ve heard from the Secretary of State that this is jointly British and French.
“So is therefore not extraordinary that at the very same time France should be working to undermine our defence industry by having us excluded from a £150 billion European Defence Fund which will include other non-EU states?”
Mr Healey replied: “The EU, when they produced their defence and security white paper last week, set in place specific arrangements for any third nation like the UK that strikes a defence and security partnership with the European Union – exactly what we went to the country with as a promise to undertake as a UK Government – any country with a partnership in place then has potentially access to those sort of programmes, that sort of funding. That’s what we will try and negotiate for this country and our industry.”
The senior Tory MP then said: “We provide unconditionally to European Nato countries, our nuclear deterrent 24/7.
“Our army is in Estonia, defending Europe’s eastern flank, and we have done more than any other European nation to support Ukraine.
“So can I ask the secretary of state if he and the Prime Minister will stand up to President Macron and stress to him, this is the worst possible time to prioritise fishing rights over Europe’s collective security?”
Mr Healey responded: “I just say to (Mr Cartlidge) drop that Brexit rhetoric. We are leading efforts with the French government and the French military to meet the challenge of the US and the requirements of the Ukraine, to have a coalition of countries willing to stand with Ukraine in the context of a negotiated peace.”
