‘Get our troops out of EU NOW!’ Ukip urges British Army to end Brussels involvement

BRITISH troops should immediately be withdrawn from any involvement in the European Union while an EU Army looms large on the horizon, Ukip’s defence spokesman has urged.

MEP Mike Hookem called for commanders to pull British Army soldiers out of the bloc’s High Readiness Battle Group, which he described as a “preliminary” to a fully fledged Brussels force. 

The RAF veteran said there is “no mandate” for continuing the UK’s future involvement in the controversial project, which some observers have warned risks seriously undermining the effectiveness of NATO. 

He warned Brussels bureaucrats are set to push further ahead with their dream of a Euro Army now Britain — the main opponent to the scheme — is due to leave the bloc, saying we had a “lucky escape”. 

The EU’s foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini has already published a delayed document, which was held back until after the June 23 referendum, which calls for further merging of member states’ armed forces. 

Mr Hookem said: "The EU military was always designed to give the powers of a sovereign state to Brussels, which meant taking away that vital level of control from the UK Government and handing it to the EU's High Representative.

"Federica Mogherini has wasted no time in launching the EU's Global Strategy making it clear the British people had a lucky escape when they voted to leave this union which is not about democracy but about power for the unelected few.

"There is no mandate for an EU military structure involving the UK and so our troops should not be involved in an EU structure ready to deploy at the wishes of the Commission.

"To keep us involved in such structures when we should be negotiating our exit is an insult to the voters and of course all those many military personnel who voted to leave.” 

US-backed NATO has already confirmed that Britain’s role on the world stage will be “unchanged” following the Brexit vote, adding that the UK “will remain a strong and committed ally, and will continue to play its leading role in our Alliance”. 

Fears over the creation of an EU Army, which were repeatedly dismissed as scaremongering during the referendum campaign, have now rapidly gathered pace with the release of several policy documents held back until after Brexit. 

Alongside Mogherini’s controversial Global Strategy the foreign ministers of France and Germany this week published a blueprint for further EU integration which includes the creation of a single European military force. 

Germany is believed to be one of the biggest backers of a future EU Army but Poland has already reacted with fury to the plot, which it insists is tantamount to the creation of a Brussels “superstate”.