Lord Michael Heseltine has warned a Brexit reset is more urgent than ever following the election of Donald Trump in the US and pressures on the government to deliver economic growth.
The former Tory deputy prime minister, 91, made his appeal in a speech as he stepped down as president of the pro-EU European Movement over the weekend.
Lord Heseltine, who will remain as the movement’s patron, is to be replaced by a joint presidency of ex-Tory attorney general Dominic Grieve and former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas.
He told the meeting: “The return of Donald Trump to the White House, Labour’s proposed ‘reset’ in UK-EU relations, and the UK’s urgent need for economic growth underscore the importance of strengthening cooperation with our European partners.
“With over 23,000 members, a powerful grassroots network, and strong connections across the political landscape, European Movement UKs uniquely positioned to drive this agenda forward, delivering tangible benefits for people and businesses across the UK.”
It comes amid concerns over Keir Starmer’s EU reset after the prime minister refused to embrace Brussels’ priority of creating a new youth visa for under-30s to enable free travel for the age group.
In the last week, Trump’s economic adviser Stephen Moore issued a warning that the UK needed to make a choice between the EU and US and would suffer from tariffs across the Atlantic unless it accepted a trade deal with Trump.
He said: “I’ve always said that Britain has to decide – do you want to go towards the European socialist model or do you want to go towards the US free market? Lately it seems like they are shifting more [towards] a European model, and so if that’s the case, I think we’d be less interested in having [a free trade deal] ... I hope they would move towards freedom, but that doesn’t seem to be the case given the Budget that they just came out with in London.”
Ms Lucas warned the European Movement that Britain is at a crucial moment in history with Trump about to return to the White House.
She said: “The prospect of Donald Trump in the White House should focus minds on the importance of being guided by our values, and on urgently rebuilding our relationship with the EU as the best way to ensure economic, security and climate resilience.
“This is a fight for our planet, for fairness, and for future generations. The European Movement UK is a dynamic cross-party force, and Dominic Grieve and I are committed to building a closer, stronger relationship with Europe to drive meaningful change.”
But Mr Grieve warned that the main political parties are “turning the other cheek” in regards to Brexit.
He said: "The main parties are turning the other cheek on talking about Brexit. There is no-one who can give a benefit of the UK leaving the European Union. I heard on the radio a businessman saying he had done well from leaving the EU, and my ears pricked up. It turned out his company helped other companies complete the huge amounts of extra paperwork that Brexit had caused."
