The European Union has slammed the door on British arms companies, locking them out of a €150 billion (£125bn) defence fund. Unsurprisingly, Brexiters like Richard Tice aren’t taking it well.
Some are even calling it typical French pettiness.
💰 The EU’s new defence scheme – and why the UK isn’t invited
The Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative, announced yesterday, lays out strict rules on who can access the massive €150bn EU loans programme for defence spending.
Under these rules, companies from the UK, US, and Turkey won’t get a slice of the funding unless their governments sign a security and defence partnership with the EU.
Meanwhile, EU countries – plus Norway and Ukraine – will have access, but at least 65% of the equipment must be sourced from within those nations.
For Brexiters, it’s another slap in the face.
😡 Tice isn’t happy – and neither are some in government
Richard Tice, leader of Reform UK, was quick to voice his frustration.
“Macron bans British arms industry from €150bn EU defence fund. No worries – we should just ban French fishermen from British waters. Then see what happens.”
He’s not the only one fuming. A senior UK government source told The Times:
“Europe needs Britain’s defence industry a bit more than the French need a few extra fish. It’s astonishing how puerile the French are behaving. They haven’t grasped the enormity of the moment.”
🤔 What happens next?
For now, the UK is shut out unless it agrees to a defence partnership with the EU. However, that seems unlikely, given the political climate.
As tensions rise, the question remains: will Britain hit back? Tice’s idea of banning French fishermen might be a bit extreme, but don’t be surprised if retaliation is on the cards.
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