Advertisement

Brexit Party MEP mocked for complaining UK will no longer be represented in the EU

Brexit Party candidate June Mummery during a rally in Peterborough King's Gate Conference Centre as part of their European Parliament election campaign.
Brexit Party candidate June Mummery during a rally last year. (PA Images)

A Brexit Party MEP has been mocked for complaining that the UK will no longer have a voice in the EU Parliament after the country leaves the bloc.

June Mummery, who sits on the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee, tweeted on Monday to say she was attending the penultimate session for British MEPs.

She also tweeted concerns that there will be no British representation on the committee after Brexit and the EU will still “control Britain’s waters”. She questioned who would hold the bloc to account.

Labour MP David Lammy found irony in her comments.

He argued Ms Mummery campaigned to leave the EU, and is now complaining the UK would not be represented in the European parliament.

He tweeted it would be “funny if it wasn’t so tragic”.

A Brexit Party spokesman said: “During this 11-month period, some in the EU could see an incentive to slash British fishing quotas further to decimate our fleets... at a time when we will continue to be subject to EU rules with our (already small) amount of influence over them removed.

“This is one of the reasons why the Brexit Party opposed a long transition period and supported a Clean-Break Brexit.

“The Brexit Party wishes to take back full control of our fishing waters and allow the EU to govern their own waters, without interference.

“Ms Mummery clearly indicates she is commenting on the transition period... and wants the UK to leave the EU and its institutions quickly, so they lose such control over our waters.

“Those misrepresenting the tweet are either ignorant of the WA (Withdrawal Agreement) or are wilfully misunderstanding her words for their own anti-Brexit and anti-democratic ends.”

READ MORE ON YAHOO UK

Why this week is do or die for Boris Johnson's Brexit deal

'Stop Brexit' activist Steve Bray tripped and attacked by 'young Brexiteers' outside Parliament

Home Office rejects Guy Verhofstadt claim that EU citizens will not be deported from Britain after Brexit

The UK will enter a transition period after leaving on 31 January.

During this time, Britain will continue to take EU rules, accept rulings from the European Court of Justice and trade with the bloc as it has done as a full member.

The Government will also continue to contribute to the EU’s budget in the transition period.

Boris Johnson wants to use the transition period – which expires on December 31 – to negotiate a new trade deal with the EU, which could see the UK diverge from the bloc’s laws and regulations.

The UK will not be represented in EU bodies – except as observers, when invited – so will not have a formal say when rules the UK will be compelled to follow are made.

The fishing of British waters by other EU countries was a prominent issue during the EU referendum campaign in 2016.