Brexiter Richard Tice has been wanging on about the UK being excluded from the EU Defence Fund, and irony has entered the chat
There’s no doubt that we’re living in interesting times, and the real possibility of further aggression from Russia has seen countries shoring up their defences with higher arms spending and increased military recruitment.
The illusion of peace is over warns European Commission President.
Russia is spending more on defence than all of Europe combined, @vonderleyen warns
— Peter Stefanovic (@PeterStefanovi2) March 11, 2025
The EU is acting as a bloc to back member states’ defence programmes from a shared fund. To be eligible to be considered for any weapons contracts from that fund, the UK would have to sign a ‘security and defence partnership agreement’ with the EU.
NEWS: The EU has announced a new £150 BILLION defence fund.
Unless a UK-EU security and defence agreement can be reached, the British defence industry will be blocked from the contracts.https://t.co/e8xpyYK7TO
— Best for Britain (@BestForBritain) March 20, 2025
YouGov found that the majority of British responders were in favour of such an agreement, which is already being hashed out and is expected to be completed within months.
With the EU saying it won't allow its new rearmament fund to be spent on arms from UK firms unless the UK enters into a security pact with the EU, Britons support signing a defence and security partnership with the EU by 69% to 10% opposed pic.twitter.com/TWUN1UjIQl
— YouGov (@YouGov) March 20, 2025
One Brit who wasn’t happy about it was Reform UK’s Richard Tice.
We’re not sure whether he didn’t look into the details, didn’t understand them, or understood them but wanted to use the situation to drum up anti-EU sentiment, but his hot take was like something yelled through a megaphone from the Brexit bus in 2016.
People couldn’t help but wonder why someone whose one aim in life was to split from the EU would be in any way surprised or disappointed at not having an automatic claim on something intended for EU member countries.
The clapbacks were perfect.
1.
Interesting. You really did believe your own rhetoric when we left the EU. Just a reminder… we left the EU, they didn’t want us to go, we live with the consequences and have no right to whine., https://t.co/T74qEB5t5Q
— Deborah Meaden (@DeborahMeaden) March 20, 2025
2.
Got to love the founder of https://t.co/KL11kfMd9o getting in a huff because Britain no longer has access to an EU fund. https://t.co/HjFvdSndYU
— Reform Party UK Exposed (@reformexposed) March 20, 2025
3.
If we’ve left the EU why should we still be in the EU Defence Fund. https://t.co/Uo85WLeNRt
— (((Dan Hodges))) (@DPJHodges) March 20, 2025
4.
"Macron bans British arms industry from €150bn EU defence fund"
Silly boy.
It's an **EU** fund and you chose to leave it.
Silly, silly little boy.
— John O'Connell (@jdpoc) March 20, 2025
5.
This isn’t us being “banned” from anything – it’s the inevitable fucking consequence of Brexit, Peanut.
What exactly did you think was going to happen when you and your lot screeched about “taking back control”?
That the EU would just keep handing out perks to a country that… https://t.co/crJbH3QCiY pic.twitter.com/aioAqUxF0p
— Bearly Politics (@i_iratus) March 20, 2025
6.
Richard.
You need to inform yourself of the facts.
You are either incredibly mischevious or incredibly stupid.
On reflection.
Both can be true.
For your info & general edification
The UK is NOT a member of the EU.
Remember Brexit ? https://t.co/ZSOKgKYPjJ— Clare Hepworth OBE (@Hepworthclare) March 20, 2025
7.
Man who voted for Brexit finds out what a bloody stupid idea it was. https://t.co/WcvKjC8wgu
— Simon Gosden. Esq. #fbpe 3.5% ☠️ (@g_gosden) March 20, 2025
8.
YOU BOY !! Dubai Dickie !!
Don't you know Brexit means Brexit !!
. pic.twitter.com/VDaLYGOHZf— Bill Howarth #FBPE #RejoinEU (@bill_howarth) March 20, 2025
9.
It is called EU defence fund for a reason! EU defence fund! EU stands for European Union which in turn means a union of European states! Money is raised from the states forming this union and also these states are going to spend it how they see fit! Richard Tice MP if still…
— Daniel Sofrone (@DanielSofrone) March 20, 2025
10.
"I'm banned from the Gym I quit membership of years ago" https://t.co/2E2lS36U7q
— Political Motivation (@Margin4Error) March 20, 2025
11.
So, what you're saying, Dick, is that Brexit was a disaster?
Because, both of those things could be apportioned to Brexit.
— Don McGowan (@donmcgowan) March 20, 2025
12.
Another Brexit benefit brought to you by the reform party.
— Darragh O'Shea (@Deeboarder) March 20, 2025
13.
History won't remember him as one of life's great thinkers, that's for sure.
Tax dodging and rabid xenophobia, yes.
— Monsieur Xavier Blancmange (@DamienDown112) March 20, 2025
14.
I see the Leopards Eating People’s Faces Party has struck again https://t.co/uPtv5SAIIP
— paulsq /acc (@paulsq) March 20, 2025
Back to the sunlit uplands it is, then.
Yeah, being excluded from huge contracts is great for British businesses and the UK economy. Well done Richard. https://t.co/4SU47UxCXB
— Simon Thorley (@SCThorley) March 20, 2025
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