𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Leading Brexiteers have met in London to warn the Government not to unpick the largest democratic vote in British history. Tory peer and Thatcherite Lord Redwood delivered a barnstorming attack on Sir Keir Starmer’s government and urged Express readers to “throw off the shackles” of Brussels. The Government has repeatedly stated it wants closer realignment with Eurocrats, and leadership contenders Wes Streeting and Andy Burnham have both called for the country to rejoin.

But Brexiteers savaged the proposals, accusing the government of shuttering British industries while cosying up to Brussels. Lord Redwood blasted: “At the very time when the remain government says it is going to grow our way out of our problem by more trade with Europe they are making it impossible to export things that were our leading exports in the past.”

He demanded Ed Miliband abandon plans to halt drilling in the North Sea, before delivering a thunderous conclusion: “You do not make Britain great by closing our oil wells and our ceramics factories and importing it instead.”

Lord Redwood urged the audience to “be proud of your independence” and told the Government to “use the powers you were elected to use, show that Britain can be great again, but not by realigning with the European Union.”

Sir Iain Duncan Smith also took up the battle cry, warning that the fight to protect Brexit “will never be done” as long as remainers seek to drag Britain back into the bloc.

The former Conservative Party leader told attendees of the Freedom Associations Brexit Unleashed conference that Labour “must never win” and had “no electoral mandate to override the biggest democratic vote this country has ever seen.”

His warning comes as the Makerfield by-election threatens to re-open the debate many thought had been resolved as the leave-voting seat now has a remainer candidate, Andy Burnham, seeking to use the election to become Prime Minister.

Sir Ian thundered: “The fact is that the Labour Party is determined, one way or another, either through the back door or through a full-frontal attack, they want to take the UK back into the European Union, no matter the cost, and no matter what a betrayal that is.”

He added: “We must fight to make sure this vote is never betrayed. We must never stop defending the action we took.”

Earlier in the event, Labour MP Graham Stringer then drew laughs at the expense of Andy Burnham, who dramatically U-turned this week on his calls to rejoin the EU after telling the Guardian last year he hoped “in my lifetime” to see Britain back in the bloc.

Mr Stringer said: “It’s Tuesday today, so Andy is in favour of being in the EU – yesterday he wasn’t, or is it the other way around?”