Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has claimed leaving the EU would not be British and urges the nation to remain…
In a statement that is bound to rile Brexit campaigners, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has argued it is “not British to retreat to Europe’s sidelines” and that it was “not in tune with Churchillian spirit” to “disengage”.
The statements were made during a speech at the London School of Economics, during which Brown discussed the history of Britain standing up for human rights, fighting fascism, and anti-Semitism.
Brown said the referendum should be used as an opportunity to develop “internationalism” and should stress the benefits of staying in relation to pay, working conditions, and employment rights.
He said: “If this referendum is about anything it is about what kind of Britain we are and what kind of Britain we aspire to become.
“We should be a leader in Europe, not simply a member. We should not be fully out and we should not be half out. We should be fully in.
“We should recognise that the world has changed since the first referendum and we should be advocates for cooperation in an inter-dependent world.”
Brown added that the EU was moving towards a “more flexible” model. He said: “The future lies in a united Europe of states rather than a United States of Europe.
“Too much cooperation and people will feel their identity is at risk, too little cooperation and it will not be possible to solve the economic, social and environmental problems we face.”
A Vote Leave spokesman said: “Gordon Brown was in a government that gave away part of our rebate and opened our borders across the EU. Lessons on the patriotic case for the EU will ring hollow from a prime minister with such a disastrous record in Europe.”
The EU has consistently ignore the UK and does not want our leadership. They only want our money
Gordon Brown did do the right thing by NOT JOINING THE EURO but now advocates staying in the EU where eventually we will have to take the Euro – When will he make up his mind of which camp he is in??
It is very British to do the best for us and our friends but the last 50 years has shown that the EU are not very friendly to us so it is time to leave
Alan.S
Yes I completely agree with Alan.As for the “not British” remark Mr Brown,perhaps someone should remind you that we live in a democracy, where we have the luxury of throwing out politicians we don’t like! We cannot throw out the EU bureaucrats like the commissioners or judges who make all the important decisions behind closed doors! The EU is totally unaccountable,nobody ever gets sacked or loses their jobs. Our leaders just hand over billions of tax payers money, most of which we never see again! May I remind you Mr Brown that the EUs accounts have still not been audited after 19yrs! If a UK business told HRMC they weren’t bothering to audit their accounts,the consequences would be severe. Britain has endured 40yrs of EU corruption, waste & red tape. Time to pull the plug!