Conservative says EU reset not credible as Tories oppose trade and energy deals
A Conservative figure has defended the party's opposition to the government's EU reset deals on trade and energy, saying the reset is not credible as the EU changes.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A Conservative figure has defended the party's opposition to the government's proposed EU reset deals on trade and energy, arguing that the reset is not credible because the EU is changing politically.
In an interview, the Conservative said they had made a "very narrow point" about specific deals to reduce the cost of trade. They rejected the suggestion that opposing all government agreements with the EU was ideological. The interviewer said the party's position, as announced by Alex Burghart, would mean opposing deals such as trade measures for farmers and closer energy links. The interviewer warned that many businesses would think the Conservatives had "gone nuts".
The Conservative responded that the debate should not start from 2016. They said they voted to remain in the EU in 2016 and did not regret that choice, but that the idea Britain would be in the same position in 2026 was ridiculous. They said the EU had changed, pointing to the prospect of a Le Pen presidency in France and Alice Weidel doing better with the AfD in Germany. They said this was a very different European Union.
They added that they did not believe talk of a reset was credible. They said the EU was finding it very difficult to address its domestic debt issues and described the government's reset as "displacement activity".
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Alex Burghart said he voted to remain in the EU in 2016 and does not regret that vote. | |
| Alex Burghart said the Conservatives would oppose any agreement the government reaches with the EU. | |
| Alex Burghart said the EU is struggling to address domestic debt issues. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
ITV1's Peston segment focused on pressing a Conservative interviewee over the party's decision to oppose the government's EU reset deals. The interviewer framed the position as ideological and warned it would alarm business, while the Conservative replied that the EU is changing and the reset is not credible. The segment also pivoted to questions about Abu Dhabi and Manchester City.
- “Many businesses will think you've gone nuts.”
- “I just simply don't believe that all this talk of reset is in any way credible.”
- “I think this is displacement activity, so I'm going to move on.”
Broadcast Timeline
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