While the move is backed by senior Brexiteers, it has also prompted a backlash among moderate Tories, who fear it will inflame tensions with France and Brussels at a critical stage in the trade deal negotiations.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Lord Patten said: “What we’re seeing is Boris Johnson on this runaway train of English exceptionalism and heaven knows where it is going to take us in the end.
“I want the best for my country, I fear for what’s happening at the moment and I fear for our reputation around the world, I fear for what will happen economically.
“I hope that I’m wrong to feel so depressed about the outlook but I don’t think that Mr Johnson is a Conservative, I think he is an English nationalist.
“And all the things that Conservatives used to believe in – like standing up for the Union, like not attacking our institutions, like the judges, like believing in international co-operation – seem to have gone out of the window.”
Echoing his concerns, Mr Ellwood said: Were just facing the undignified prospect now of our overstretched Royal Navy squaring up to a close Nato ally over fishing rights when beneath the surface were witnessing the presence of Russian drone activity and sub-service activity.
Our adversaries must be really enjoying this blue on blue. This isnt Elizabethan times anymore, this is Global Britain. We need to be raising the bar much, much higher than this.
The US will be watching this as well. The Biden administration, who publicly did not want to get involved in this debate, are actually willing this deal on and wanting a strong Europe. We need to be building alliances not breaking them apart.
Lets get this deal because economically, but more importantly internationally reputationally, this would be so damaging to Britain. It would be a retrograde step and a failure of state craft.
However, pushing back, Lord West said: It is absolutely appropriate that the Royal Navy should protect our waters if the position is that we are a sovereign state and our Government has said we don’t want other nations there.
“It is absolutely appropriate for the navy to do as it is told by the Government.
“There are complications in that you can push vessels aside, you can cut their fishing tackle but boarding these foreign ships, they’ll need to pass probably a little thing through Parliament to give authority to board and get on them.
“There is no doubt if you are a fisherman who has fished for years there – they are, as our fishermen are, quite stormy people – and you get a bit of a punch-up and you might need some marines and things.”read more
Boris Johnson branded ‘English nationalist’ by former Tory chairman – Telegraph.co.uk
