UKIP leader claims British Army under foreign command
Gerard Batten ridiculed after urging potential military recruits not to enlist until after Brexit
UKIP has urged people considering joining the British Army not to sign up until after Brexit to avoid being put “under a foreign military command”.
Gerard Batten, the party’s leader, reacted with fury to images which have been circulated on pro-Brexit Facebooks group of UK soldiers on operations in Bosnia wearing the European Union flag on their uniforms.
Ministers announced in June that around 40 military personnel from Britain would be sent to the country with other EU troops in a bid to combat Russian meddling in a presidential election in October.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
They form part of the 600-strong European Union Force under the direction of Nato, which has operated a multinational command structure since it was formed in 1949.
“Our ancestors, the heroes of the Armada, Waterloo, Trafalgar, Passchendaele, El-Alamein, and others too numerous to mention, did not fight so that their descendants could serve under the flag of a foreign power,” Batten said, claiming that British soldiers “are no longer fighting for Queen and Country but under a foreign military command”.
He urged no one to join the British Army “until we have left the EU and this has all been reversed”, after which “we will be able to rebuild our military into a force which serves the interests of our nation first and foremost”.
In a dig at the prime minister and her compromise Chequers plan, Batten falsely claimed that Theresa May had "already stated her intention to tie us into the EU’s military ambitions even if we nominally leave under her plan", reports The New European.
His comments were labelled “ridiculous” by Lib Dem leader Vince Cable, and “bizzare” by The Sun.
Defence sources also ridiculed UKIP’s claim, pointing out that Britain has been part of the EU-led force in Bosnia for 14 years.
They also said UK troops routinely carry the flag of multi-national organisations such as Nato or the UN on their uniform.
In 2016, it was announced that a French general would command a division of British soldiers for the first time, while a British officer took up a similar role in the French army, as part of an exchange to strengthen military ties across the Channel. Yet Eurosceptic fears of a single European army have so far proven unfounded.
At the time, The Daily Telegraph reported that UK generals “say Britain is unlikely to go to war on its own in the future and any large military operations will be with coalitions of allies, such as during the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns”.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'The House under GOP rule has become a hostile workplace'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
The Shohei Ohtani gambling scandal is about more than bad bets
In The Spotlight The firestorm surrounding one of baseball's biggest stars threatens to upend a generational legacy and professional sports at large
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Feds raid Diddy homes in alleged sex trafficking case
Speed Read Homeland Security raided the properties of hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Will Aukus pact survive a second Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question US, UK and Australia seek to expand 'game-changer' defence partnership ahead of Republican's possible return to White House
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
It's the economy, Sunak: has 'Rishession' halted Tory fightback?
Today's Big Question PM's pledge to deliver economic growth is 'in tatters' as stagnation and falling living standards threaten Tory election wipeout
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Stormont power-sharing in sight: 'good news' for Northern Ireland?
Talking Point Unionists vote to end two-year boycott after agreeing legislative package to address post-Brexit trading arrangements
By The Week UK Published
-
Why your local council may be going bust
The Explainer Across England, local councils are suffering from grave financial problems
By The Week UK Published
-
A UK citizen army: how it would work
The Explainer British military chief calls for war preparations to start, arguing that 'regular armies start wars, citizen armies win them'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Rishi Sunak and the right-wing press: heading for divorce?
Talking Point The Telegraph launches 'assault' on PM just as many Tory MPs are contemplating losing their seats
By Keumars Afifi-Sabet, The Week UK Published
-
How Finland's tightening presidential race could affect future of Europe
Under the radar Country has key geostrategic position along Nato's longest border with an increasingly belligerent Russia
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published