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.