Brexit undoes our wartime victory, says Heseltine

LORD HESELTINE has suggested that voting for Brexit is the same as handing victory to Germany, 70 years after the Nazis were defeated in the Second World War.

The former deputy prime minister said the UK’s decision to leave the EU meant Germany had been “handed the opportunity” to become the dominant player in Europe.

He added it was “quite unacceptable” that Germany would now have the chance “to win the peace”.

Speaking to House magazine, he said: “We’ve now abandoned the opportunity to influence Europe, the council of ministers will meet and we won’t be there. Our ability to speak for the Commonwealth within Europe has come to an end. The Americans will shift their focus of interest to Germany.

“And if I can put it to you for some like myself, it was in 1933, the year of my birth, that Hitler was democratically elected in Germany. He unleashed the most horrendous war. This country played a unique role in securing his defeat. So Germany lost the war. We’ve just handed them the opportunity to win the peace.”

His comments came after he was sacked as a government adviser after speaking in favour of amendments to the Article 50 Bill.

The one-time Tory “big beast” led a rebellion in the House of Lords this month as he backed demands for a “meaningful vote” on the final Brexit deal.

He told the Lords that he “deeply” regretted the outcome of last year’s EU referendum and that “the fightback starts here.”

The peer also wrote to Theresa May and accused her of changing her mind on Brexit after campaigning to remain in the EU.