Brexit: Tory ministers accused of using UK military protection as leverage against EU

Cabinet ministers have risked a Brussels backlash after using their latest Brexit negotiating paper to highlight how crucial the UK’s military might is to ensuring European security.

The Government underlined Britain’s large defence budget, Eastern European troop deployments, UN Security Council seat and nuclear deterrent ahead of the document’s publication on Tuesday.

But key EU figures indicated the move would be seen in Brussels as an attempt to use British military strength as leverage on stalled Brexit talks.

The European Parliament’s Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt told The Independent there could be no “trade-off” involving security, while another EU source warned UK negotiators “the days of gunboat diplomacy are over”.

It comes ahead of further negotiations next week, with the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier having ended the last round pointing to a lack of progress on “divorce” issues, including the settlement of the UK’s financial obligations.

The new British “future partnership paper” will see the UK offer military assets to future EU operations, while also underlining how “vital” they currently are to tackling threats like that from Russia.

Mr Verhofstadt said: “It is vital the EU and UK continue to work to together, as our common security is intrinsically interlinked. However, the European Parliament has made it clear that, whatever the outcome of the negotiations on the future European Union-United Kingdom relationship, they cannot involve any trade-off between internal and external security, on the one hand, and the future economic relationship, on the other hand.

“Furthermore, we need to make sufficient progress on the withdrawal agreement, before we can discuss a future partnership.”

Another EU source responded referencing recently published extracts from a new political book, Betting The House, which claimed Mr Davis had believed he could “thump the EU” in Brexit talks.

The individual said: “Two days after it emerged that David Davis wants to ‘thump the EU’, we are told the UK Government will continue to ensure our security, presumably for a price.

“David Davis increasingly resembles a dejected school-ground bully. Of course the EU countries seek a close security partnership, but unfortunately for Sir Michael Fallon the days of gunboat diplomacy are over.”

It is not the first time the UK has been accused of using security as a bargaining chip in Brexit talks, after Theresa May faced criticism over comments made in her letter triggering Article 50.

It underlined how a failure to reach a deal with the UK would mean “weakened” security cooperation, leading to attacks from key European figures followed by backpedalling over the issue from British ministers.

But a briefing note ahead of the new paper’s publication signalled the Government’s desire to ensure security cooperation remains a central issue in Brexit talks.

It pointed out that the UK has the largest defence budget and development budget in Europe, and is the only European country that meets both its Nato target of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence and the UN target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income on international development.

It also emphasised how the UK and France are the only two European permanent members of the UN Security Council and the only European countries with an independent nuclear deterrent.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael said: “At a time of increased threats and international instability the UK remains unwavering in its commitment to uphold European security.

“With the largest defence budget in Europe, the largest Navy, British troops and planes deployed across land, air and sea in Europe, our role in the continent’s defence has never been more vital.”

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the UK’s commitment to European security is “undiminished”.

He added: “In recent years, the European Union has helped achieve crucial foreign policy goals, from bringing Iran to the negotiating table, to uniting in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine.

“We want this EU role to continue after we leave.”

Brexit Secretary Mr Davis said the paper highlighted the UK’s defence capabilities and a “desire” to use them as part of a deep relationship with the EU.

A government source said the intention of the paper was to underline the need to talk about future relations with the EU, with security a key part, but the European Commission has been adamant that future relations are off the table until the divorce settlement is agreed.

Agreement on how much the UK should pay to settle financial obligations continues to be elusive, with the two sides attempting to calculate the figure using diametrically opposed methods.

Critics in London said the Government’s claims to have an undiminished commitment to EU security had not been borne out in previous interventions.

Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman Tom Brake said: “It is interesting how the Government now says it sees the EU as central to Britain’s security and diplomatic needs.

“It begs the question why it has so tarnished the very relationships that those arrangements are based on."

Labour MP Chris Bryant, leading supporter of the Open Britain campaign said: “The Government’s intention to continue to share a deep foreign policy and security relationship with the EU in future is welcome, but it makes a mockery of their threat to leave the EU with no deal at all.

“Doing so would overnight end our security relationship with Europe, putting our citizens and theirs at risk. It is high time the Government dropped its absurd no-deal threat.”