Reform UK leader pledges to reclaim the country’s 12-mile territory – and tells Brussels ‘tough luck’ if they don’t like it
Farage pledges to bring back British fishing waters (Image: Getty)
British fishing waters would be reinstated should Nigel Farage become prime minister in a future general election. Speaking at a rally in the fishing town of Plymouth, the Reform UK leader announced that he would get rid of a deal signed by Sir Keir Starmer.
That deal, signed as part of plans to reset the country’s relationship with the European Union, meant foreign fishermen were allowed to pillage British waters just six miles off the coast. Branding that bargain as an “absolute betrayal”, Mr Farage told fans he would “rip up” the deal and impose traditional fishing waters once again. The Daily Express is campaigning to see a 12-mile border around the United Kingdom in which only British fishermen can work.
That is part of the paper’s Give Us A Proper Brexit crusade, which demands politicians respect the result of the historic vote to leave the EU. More than 17million people voted to Leave, making the ballot the largest democratic mandate in British history.
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The Express is also calling for the UK to leave the European Convention on Humand Rights (ECHR) to enable control of the borders, as well as the tearing up of eurocrat red tape which is throttling businesses. Speaking at the rally, Mr Farage said: “One of the sensible beliefs that we had was that we would start to get back control of our territorial waters.”
He added that the “minimum” the country could have expected following the vote was to “get back control of our 12-mile line”. Ahead of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s planned meeting next month with eurocrats in Brussels, Mr Farage warned: “If they don’t like it in Brussels, tough luck!”
Mr Burnham has already opened the door to a number of Brexit betrayals when he heads to the continent to reopen talks more than 10 years after the vote. He campaigned to Remain in the EU, called for a second referendum when his side lost, and then said he wanted the country to rejoin “in my lifetime” last year.
When standing in the Makerfield by-election, a seat which voted 65% to Leave, the ardent Remainer chose to run away when challenged by this paper on his evolving position on the topic. The Government was approached for comment.
WW3 conscription to target one UK group as Brits who refuse face humiliating punishment
An expert has explained what a new conscription policy might look like.
An expert has given his thoughts on conscription. (Image: Getty)
One particular group of Brits could be targeted for conscription as others face fines for not complying, an expert has warned. Fears that the UK may need to introduce compulsory military service have surged in recent weeks amid escalating threats from Russia. One of Putin’s closest allies cautioned that he could not “100% exclude” the possibility of “semi-military” action against British installations, after the Armed Forces provided Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops with the blueprints to produce their own Storm Shadow missiles.
A UK security source has acknowledged that Russia is “preparing something”, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham going so far as to suggest a Russian attack is “inevitable”. This follows a direct threat to London issued by Putin’s regime.
If a conflict breaks out, the UK may be forced to introduce conscription to bolster its Armed Forces, particularly after a retired Army major warned the military is in its weakest state for over 70 years.
Conscription is when a government imposes mandatory enlistment of citizens into military service. Over the past 126 years, there have been only two instances of conscription in the UK.
The first ran between 1916 and 1920, and the second spanned from 1939 to 1960. Author and historian David Swift suggested a new conscription policy would likely exclude workers in two particular sectors.
There could be fines for people who don’t comply. (Image: Getty)
Speaking to the Express, he said: “Today, since there is such an urgent need to rebuild Britain’s defence industries and industrial capacity, I would expect that people in these important occupations would be exempt.
“Or even that people could be ‘conscripted’ into working in these industries.”
He also gave an indication of which group could be first to face conscription, adding: “Military conscription would target unemployed graduates – this would be very popular with lots of people.”
Mr Swift detailed the penalties that could be imposed on Brits who fail to comply with a conscription order. he suggested that fines, rather than custodial sentences, would likely be handed to those who refuse to register.
He explained: “I imagine it would be fines rather than imprisonment or anything like that, due to lack of prison capacity, difficulty enforcing and lack of legitimacy, and that ‘conscription’, if introduced, would be very much focused around monetary reward.”
Mr Swift proposed that Britain might mirror Greece’s approach. In Greece, failing to register resulted in a €6,000 (£5213.19) fine, though in 2019 the country contemplated abolishing the penalty altogether.
In 2024, former British Army chief General Sir Patrick Sanders called on the UK to prepare for “national mobilisation” and a “citizen army” in light of the threat posed by Russia.
However, successive UK governments have instead maintained that a highly skilled, professional volunteer armed force remains the most effective means of defending the country.