Brexiteers have blasted the Irish Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, branding him as “pretty weird” and warned to brush up on history after he claimed British war veterans fought for Europe. Brexiteers said that the Irish Prime Minister was “talking rubbish” at the EU parliament as he made a strange plea for Britain to change its decision on exiting the European Union.
At the European Parliament, Varadkar suggested that Second World War veterans had “fought on the beaches of France” not only for Britain, but to also protect and further “European values”.
He also stated, “I really regret the decision on Brexit, because so much will be lost. Young people will lose their right to live, work and study anywhere in the European Union – losing their rights as European citizens. My nice and nephew won't because they are entitled to Irish passports, but other kids in their class will and I think that's a real shame... And also I'm conscious of British veterans, very brave people, who fought on the beaches of France not just for Britain but also for European democracy and for European values – and people like that are always on my mind.”
Although the Irish Prime Minister's comment was applauded by the European Parliament in Brussel, they were mocked in Britain by Tory MP James Gary, who served in the Territorial Army. He said, “If he was talking about D Day it's patently obvious that the troops were of course not fighting for the EU because it didn't exist at the time. I just think it's wrong. He is talking a lot of rubbish, isn't he? I have met a great many of veterans of the Second World War in my time and I've never met one who thought they were fighting for the European Union. And if that is what the Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland thinks then he doesn't know what he is talking about. The EU wasn't even a twinkle in anyone's eye that time. Charles De Gaulle of course went to lengths to ensure that Britain didn't form part of any link at all.”
