Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has been accused of "disrespecting" Britain's war heroes after using a Remembrance Sunday message to promote closer ties with the European Union. The minister highlighted the UK's return to the Erasmus+ student exchange programme as she paid tribute to those who served in the First and Second World Wars.
Veterans and senior Conservatives criticised the decision to bring the Government's relationship with the EU into a message marking one of the most important days in the military calendar.
Conservative criticism
Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservative Party chairman, said: "Our veterans’ sacrifice is not a prop for Labour’s EU agenda. Suggesting that Brexit broke the bonds they helped forge - and that Erasmus will fix them - is outrageous, downplaying their bravery and the significance of what they did. Those ties run far deeper than any particular EU project.
"Remembrance Sunday is a day for the nation to stand together in silence and honour those who gave everything for our country. It is not a day for a Labour minister to try to make an EU membership pitch. Our veterans did not fight for a student exchange scheme. Using their sacrifice to clear a £570m cheque to Brussels is tone deaf and frankly shameful. Lisa Nandy should withdraw this release and apologise."
Government's position
Ms Nandy's department linked the return to Erasmus+ with efforts to "repair" Britain's relationships with Europe, saying veterans had helped to secure strong links with the continent after the Second World War. It said Nandy believed "we owe it to our brave veterans to repair these relationships with our friends in Europe" by returning to Erasmus+.
Britain left the student mobility programme following Brexit but is set to rejoin in 2027. Ms Nandy said: "This Remembrance Sunday, we come together to reflect and honour the sacrifices that our Armed Forces made in the First and Second World Wars, and continue to make today.
"We are about to raise the first generation for whom fighting a war really is part of history. Our future generations must know the significance of those who served in our national story, that they forged a path for friendship and cooperation that meant no one in our country has had to fight a war since."
She added: "In that spirit, this Government is building stronger, better ties with our EU neighbours. After six years away, the UK rejoining the Erasmus+ programme is a clear symbol of our ambition and intent."
Her department said it had secured a 30% discount on the cost of UK participation in Erasmus+ for 2027, which it claimed would save taxpayers around £240million.
Veterans' response
Peter Sharples, founder and chief executive of the Veterans Institute, said Brexit had "no relevance to the veterans sector", pointing to Britain's continued membership of NATO. He said: "It’s the one day of the year that no one should say anything, and just honour the fallen. It is a time to come together for a very sombre weekend.
"We all have political opinions - but let’s put the politics aside for this weekend. No one wants to hear we’ve got a 30 per cent discount on Erasmus Plus."
Colonel Richard Kemp, a former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, described Nandy's remarks as "rather tone deaf". He said: "On Remembrance Sunday, it is not about Erasmus or anything like that - it is all about remembering and commemorating the people who made the supreme sacrifice. The focus of that should not be taken away by the Government."
The row comes as Prime Minister Andy Burnham pushes for a closer relationship between Britain and the EU. Mr Burnham is due to attend a UK-EU summit in Brussels on November 20, where the Government hopes to make progress on trade, security, migration and other areas of cooperation.
