The former deputy prime minister said the UK should be “at the heart of Europe” and that returning to the bloc would be “in the best interests of a generation of young British people”.
Speaking ahead of Friday’s fifth anniversary of Britain’s official departure from the EU, Lord Heseltine told the BBC: “The creation of the single market was Margaret Thatcher’s greatest achievement. It was a culmination of the determination that war should be eliminated from the landmass of Europe.”
He added: “I was rather keen on these ideas. And I am appalled by Brexit, I don’t believe for an instant that we should accept the verdict of a pack of lies that was paraded by various people in order to persuade people we had to sever our relationship with Europe.”
His intervention came as Downing Street confirmed Sir Keir Starmer will ignore the fifth anniversary of Brexit, with the prime minister instead focusing on his ongoing reset of relations with the EU.
This story is from the January 28, 2025 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 28, 2025 edition of The Independent.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Borthwick a broken record in his defence of England
The good news is that England are taking the positives. Again. It may be seven defeats in nine games, but did you see the way they fought for a losing bonus point with the game gone? How about how the tweaked defensive system frustrated Ireland – until it didn’t.
Davey: Musk must be held to account for his remarks
Sir Ed Davey said Elon Musk needs to be held to account” for his comments about the UK, as the Liberal Democrat leader responded to the billionaire calling him a snivelling cretin”.
Amorim's left-field tactics backfire on worst day yet
As Manchester United prepared to finalise the departure of the only player to score 30 goals in a season for them since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Ruben Amorim omitted the two strikers who cost the club a combined £110m, selected a midfielder in attack and saw them fail to score, and his team suffer another loss.
Reform could win scores of seats from Labour, says poll
Nigel Farage is on course to unseat more Labour MPs than Tories at the next general election with his Reform UK party surging in the polls.
Lawyers misinterpreted’ key research in Letby trial
Doctor unhappy’ at how work used to convict killer nurse
‘She had more energy, she felt warm, she wasn’t tired’
Father gave kidney to stranger to save wife in donor swap
A flat Austen never matches up to her fictional heroines
There is much to admire in Miss Austen’, the BBC series about Jane and the sister who mysteriously burnt her letters, but it fails to capture the author’s humour
New Ofsted report cards dubbed dangerous rehash’
Bridget Phillipson will promise a “new era for school standards” as Labour and Ofsted replace single-word judgements for schools with more detailed report cards.
Trump admits trade war could hurt US consumers
As China, Canada and Mexico respond to punitive tariffs
Mr Speaker: Starmer used voice coach to connect’
Sir Keir Starmer relied for five years on an actor and communications skills coach to improve his public speaking and interview performances, a new book has revealed.