Labour is embroiled in a major Remembrance Sunday row over Brexit after linking the commemoration of the nation’s war dead to Andy Burnham‘s Brexit reset.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy was accused of trying to hijack commemorations after her department likened the Erasmus+ student exchange scheme to ‘the strong links with Europe that veterans’ service helped to secure’ after the Second World War.
The remarks were made ahead of solemn events at the cenotaph in London and across Britain and the Commonwealth this morning and sparked claims she was hijacking the commemorations for anti-Brexit propaganda.
Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: ‘Remembrance Sunday is a day for the nation to stand together in silence and honour those who gave everything for our country. It is not a day for a Labour minister to try to make an EU membership pitch.’
But in a round of media interviews today Ms Nandy instead made the astonishing claim that her critics were ‘politicising’ a day that should be above politics.
‘I strongly, strongly disagree and it’s Remembrance Sunday,’ she told Sky News.
‘It’s not a time for politicking. And I’m actually kind of quite horrified that the chairman of the Conservative Party has chosen to do that. He, they, are the only party that is talking about Brexit and the European Union today.’
Lisa Nandy was accused of trying to hijack commemorations after her department likened the Erasmus+ student exchange scheme to ‘the strong links with Europe that veterans’ service helped to secure’
The remarks were made ahead of solemn events at the cenotaph in London and across Britain and the Commonwealth this morning and sparked claims she was hijacking the commemorations for anti-Brexit propaganda
Ms Nandy also referred to ’80 years of peace’ in her statement, which Mr Hollinrake criticised for ignoring more recent conflicts in which British troops died.
He said: ‘Lisa Nandy seems to be saying that no one in our country has had to fight a war since 1945.
‘Tell that to the veterans of Korea, the Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan, and to the families of the hundreds who never came home. Our veterans did not fight for a student exchange scheme.
‘Using their sacrifice to clear a £570 million cheque to Brussels is tone deaf and frankly shameful. Lisa Nandy should apologise.’
Late last night, in a story designed to appear in the news today, Ms Nandy said the Erasmus+ student exchange scheme, which the UK has rejoined under Labour, would ‘give a new generation the chance to build connections across Europe’.
Her department added: ‘As the nation pauses today to remember those who served and sacrificed, [the programme] will help young people from every back-ground and region build the strong links with Europe that veterans’ service helped to secure and endure after the Second World War.’
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood told GB News Ms Nandy had put on a display of breathtaking chutzpah in accusing others of politicising the day:
“Remembrance Sunday should be a solemn occasion to remember the sacrifices given by so many, but for the government to choose to use that to try to pursue this ideological drive to take us back into the Erasmus scheme as part of their attempts to take us back towards the European Union, I think really is distasteful, and I do think that Lisa needs to reflect and apologise,’ he said.
Away from the Erasmus+ project, Mr Burnham is facing a Cabinet backlash over his plan to negotiate a two-way youth mobility scheme with the EU, with some ministers expressing fears it will hit the British jobs market.
Ahead of a summit on November 20, UK and EU negotiators are still trying to thrash out the details of the scheme under which under-30s will be able to live, work, study and travel for a period on both sides of the Channel.
Senior ministers are understood to have warned the proposals could prove to be electorally toxic at a time when the government is struggling to tackle youth unemployment and wean young people off benefits.
Mr Burnham said last week he wanted ‘radical change’ to address the ‘million or more young people in their 20s on benefits’, adding: ‘It’s not good for them. It’s not good for anybody.’
But one minister told the MoS: ‘This isn’t joined-up government. On the one hand we’re pledging to get a million young people off welfare and back into work. But at the same time we’re proposing to let a million young people from Europe enter the UK to directly compete with them for jobs.’
The EU is demanding that the UK should set university fees for European students lower than international fees of £38,000 a year. In return, the UK has tried to put an annual quota on the number of EU youths able to enter Britain.
The Brussels summit is also expected to ratify deals on food and drink to cut bureaucracy, but also oblige the UK to accept EU rules. Another deal on carbon emissions would link the UK and EU’s emissions-trading systems, meaning Britain would no longer be subject to EU carbon taxes.
Mr Burnham has said the summit with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen could set up a ‘dialogue’ on the UK’s future relationship with Europe. He has not ruled out Britain eventually rejoining the EU.
Last month, Mr Burnham told the Commons: ‘On the table is a trade deal on food and drink products, a deal on emissions trading, progress towards linking our energy systems, a new youth experience scheme and deeper cooperation on immigration.’
The ministers’ backlash comes amid growing Cabinet concerns that Mr Burnham’s stance on the EU is muddying its core agenda.
Another minister said: ‘Look at last week. The message discipline was awful. The focus should have solely been on the Budget. But No 10 were jabbering on about Brexit and slavery reparations.’
