Mandelson’s ‘treachery’ on Britain’s exit

LORD Mandelson has been branded a traitor after he advised the EU to ignore the interests of Britain in Brexit negotiations. The former EU commissioner told a German newspaper: ‘Basically one can only advise the Europeans one thing – forget Great Britain, and take care of your own interests.’

The Labour peer is in line to receive an annual pension of £35,000 from Brussels.

He told Die Zeit: ‘According to the Lisbon Treaty, the two sides are to reach agreement within two years on a trade agreement that covers all the smallest details of economic relations. This is absolutely impossible.

‘Not just because the time just is not enough. It is much more serious that the British government is entering the negotiations with the wrong basic attitude.’

The Die Zeit interviewer told Lord Mandelson he was ‘too pessimistic’.

But the peer persisted, claiming it was untrue German carmakers would put pressure on Berlin to sign a trade deal, for fear of losing sales to Britain.

He said: ‘This attitude is naive, even ignorant, because the truth is a majority of German cars are luxury goods and anyone spending so much money on a car will not be deterred by a few per cent import tax.’

Lord Mandelson claimed Leave voters did ‘not think about how much Brexit will harm us in the long run’.

He said: ‘British universities and research facilities are among the world’s best because we have access to EU funding and can attract the best talent from 27 countries.

‘Without these conditions, we are destroying the foundation for our economic prosperity in the 21st century.’

Last night, Brexit supporters claimed the peer was thinking more about his Brussels pension than Britain’s prosperity.

Andrew Rosindell, Tory MP for Romford, said: ‘Lord Mandelson’s comments are treacherous, unpatriotic and takes the bitter Remainers to a new low in their contempt for our democracy.

‘The loyalty to this country of someone who says “forget Great Britain” must be questioned.’

Jacob Rees-Mogg, Tory MP for North East Somerset, said: ‘Mandelson is what the Chinese would call a “running dog” of the European Union, so this is what you would expect of him.

‘In [19th-century British prime minister George] Canning’s words, “A steady patriot of the world alone, the friend of every country but his own”.’

Labour MP Gisela Stuart, who chairs the Change Britain campaign, said: ‘It’s disappointing that he’s putting his generous EU pension and interests before the needs of the British public…whose side is he on?’

Lord Mandelson earlier this year insisted his Brussels pension did not influence his views on Brexit. He told peers: ‘I was a Remainer, not because of my pension rights but because I am a patriot – a patriot, not a nationalist.’

Britain will scale down efforts to tackle climate change and ivory poaching as officials concentrate on commercial deals in the run-up to Brexit, according to papers photographed on public transport.

The documents were photographed on a train as an aide to International Trade Secretary Liam Fox prepared to give a briefing to diplomats.

‘This is what you’d expect’