By Michiel Willems
Brits voting for Brexit primarily did so because they were sold “a sort of mirage” and it is “clear” the UK’s future lies firmly in Europe, a prominent member of the European Commission said over the weekend.
French politician Thierry Breton, who is in charge of the internal market within the European Commission, told RTL Radio in his native France that Brits were sold a pack of lies ahead of the 2016 referendum.
“They had been sold a sort of mirage. Clearly its destiny is Europe,” he said.
“We have a country which is completely destabilised, and a political party as well,” added Breton, referring to the troubles within the ruling Conservative Party after Liz Truss quit as Prime Minister last week.
Brexit deal
His comments follow a leading investment chief, who has predicted the UK may need a bailout from the IMF and is now the “sick man of Europe” because of the way Brexit was negotiated.
Guy Hands, founder of private equity firm Terra Firma, said the UK’s investment landscape was bleak and the Conservatives “not” fit to run the country.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4 this morning, the long-time backer of the Tories he said: “It’s got to move on from fighting its own internal wars.”
The Tory donor said the issue was not just the last six weeks but decisions made “in the past six years which has put the country on the path to be the sick man of Europe.”
When they did Brexit they had a dream of a low tax low benefit economy. Truss to be fair to her tried it and it’s clearly something that is not acceptable to the British people.”
Saying that vision of Brexit requiring “extreme Thatcherism” was unachievable, he added “the Brexit that was done is completely hopeless and will only drive Britain into a disastrous economic state.”
The Terra Firma founder and CEO said the Tories had to “own up to the mistake they made in negotiating Brexit” and put in place someone with the “intellectual capability to re-negotiate Brexit”, there is a “possibility of turning round the economy”.
Without that, the economy “is frankly doomed”.
The post Brexit Brits were sold ‘a mirage’ as UK’s destiny ‘clearly’ lies in Europe, says EU bigwig appeared first on CityAM.
