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A large Brexit reign is needed on defense and safety leading to a single European military command structure and the defense of the continent’s boundaries, former deputy prime minister Lord Michael Heseltine warned.
Former Deputy Prime Minister believes the threat of Donald Trump’s administration has opened the doors to Sir Keir Starmer to have a much more profound recovery from the damage of Brexit above the limited ambitions of his breakdown talks.
Write in The independent The Tory Peer, who played an important role in the Remain campaign, issued his warning in the wake of Mr. Trump’s shocking actions in the withdrawal of military aid and intelligence from Ukraine.
This comes because Sir Keir leads to defense as he continues with his Brexit Reset talks with Brussels.
Lord Heseltine, a former defense secretary under Margaret Thatcher, said the behavior of the US president means that the United Kingdom and its European allies now have to institute alternative military structures because it can no longer rely on the US as an ally.
Lord Heseltine also warns against “accomplice silence” in the handling of Mr. Trump, and notes “the brave attitude” of Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
He said: ‘We must choose between the complicity of silence or to have an open debate in support of our own and the former American values.
“I don’t doubt that silence would be the wrong choice. And while we are talking, we must end the free -range that is currently offered to Nigel Farage. President Trump’s apologist in Britain, who believes he is in power as both major parties are afraid of his rough, racist based, extraction of immigration. “
Lord Heseltine is now urging the British government, along with the French and Germans, to reconsider the defense and security strategy.
He said: ‘We in Europe must fill in the safety deficit that America creates, but simply spend more on the defense is not enough. Europe must do its own defense review led by the United Kingdom, France and Germany. To establish a possible assignment structure in the event that the NATO alliance was not available.
“The review should include the acquisition policy to secure the compatibility and interoperability of weapons systems and ensure the scope of the acquisition and research budgets that benefit the US and Chinese industry. Airbus is a model that demonstrates the art of the possible. “
He also wants the UK to agree to general security boundary control in Europe in its Brexit recovery with the EU.
Lord Heseltine said: “We cannot allow uncontrolled immigration. Europe must define a common border that we can police together. “
Regarding the purchases of defense, he added: ‘No European nation -state, including the UK, can match the scope of R and D that inject the defensive and space programs in the industrial basis of America and China. Together, Europe and we need to restore the damage that Brexit has done to our self -interest by re -joining Europe’s programs.
“Above all, our two main parties must articulate the interdependence of this country with Europe, encourage the free movement of our younger generation and open the way for our professional musicians to act freely in Europe.
A united Europe is at the heart of British self -intention. We are a European power. We have always been and will always be. When we share sovereignty, we increase the power of that sovereignty. “
This is because another former secretary of Tory defense has requested Sir Ben Wallace European countries to fill the void left by the US to support Ukraine and keep the hope alive to stop Russia.
Sir Ben also said that Europe could survive without US support on defense.
“It’s not the end of the world when they pull out of NATO. We have the will in Europe and the money, if we choose, to solve our own safety and defense, ”he added.
